


B & R

by RasenRougue



Category: Gintama
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/M, Mystery, Slow Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-05
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2018-11-09 06:21:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 48,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11098722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RasenRougue/pseuds/RasenRougue
Summary: He was like the dark night who yearned to devour it all while she was like the pale moon uselessly trying to illuminate all with its feeble light. She was the concept of weakness and everything what it pointed out like unnecessary. He represented everything that she hated and what she wanted to escape. Ironically they were what unconsciously they didn't want to get to love.





	1. Broken

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! This fanfiction (Blood and Roses but abbreviated with B & R) is being published originally in spanish, but Pazaror (a reader) and I decided to transcribe it or make the attempt. So, I apologize if some things aren't quite right. After having clarified the situation of this story, enjoy it.
> 
> Special thanks to Parazor, who was responsible for the translation. She deserves the sky and all the chocolate in the world.
> 
> -The words in italics are the thoughts of the characters.

The faint night drizzle, the bashful moon leaving only look half of her face to watch it all and that drilling silence formed the vast scenery around her, and it was like an endless tale in which the only thing for sure was the starting point.

But she didn't care about the hardness of the narrow path she was walking, neither had she any interest in the thick, natural bamboo walls that sheltered her and kept everybody away from what the outer world could hold; the only thing truly interesting for her pupils was the superb wheat field that welcomed her with its golden hue when she started walking through it.

But when did it all started to turn a thunderous crimson, and to break the train of her thoughts? What was supposed to be that beast that lied a few meters away, being attacked by those three hefty warriors and being annihilated by the violent lunge of an umbrella?

"...Abuto?" The name came out automatically, without even wishing for it. And she didn't, even for a moment, peel her gaze away from that old acquaintance.

"You look like you've seen a dead man back from his grave" He expressed with some mockery while he covered himself from the raging monsoon and let the water take care of cleaning the crimson dirt that had stained his weapon.

"The earth is too big of a place for us to end up meeting up again", she inquired with more serenity. Even a small sigh escaped from her lips. "I don't remember a fleet of such reputation having the time to make expeditions and going hunting for small wild beasts", she mentioned, crossing her arms.

"You should smile a little or your face is gonna chap." That mocking smile and such comment made a scowl appear in her face. "Come on, come on, calm down. I have enough work to do with having to protect the captain's ass to deal with something else."

"That's because you let him do what he wants", she pointed out without much interest. "I guess your path to extinction can't be avoided."

"Hey, hey", the best he could do was to tranquil her mood.

"Vice-captain, we need you to come immediately." Their talk was interrupted as soon as one of the brunet's subordinates approached them.

"And what's going on now? Don't you realize I'm trying to negotiate?", he complained.

"It's just… We've ran out of supplies. And their state is worsening", he notified, alarmed. Abuto simply stayed quiet.

"What are you supposed to be doing in Earth? He couldn't resist for any longer and came for that man's head?" It wasn't hard to predict the moves of the ex-captain of the 7th division of the Harusame.

"I remember your goodbye letter saying something like… you didn't want to know anything from either of us or our stupid captain anymore." He could have said it with true seriousness, but it was clear that this made him laugh. Especially for the contradiction between what she had said and what she was doing right now.

"Stop henpeck me", she snapped, somewhat annoyed, after turning around. "What kind of person am I if I'm incapable of keeping a promise like that? Tsk… Besides, why are they here? In this territory, they won't find anything more than…"

"…We were attacked, and we didn't come out so well from it."

"What did you say?", she faced him once more with her question clear in her unsettled ruby eyes. "Who could have enough strength to defeat a group of Yato like you? It sounds absolutely ridiculous".

"Why don't you see it for yourself, Oshin?"

She knew the places that are appreciated beyond the field of wheat and what hid so meticulously that monumental cascade of crystal clear waters and river stones. However, what she didn't have an answer for was the reason why they had sealed so magnificently well the entry to that steep, deep underground cave.

Not a word came out of her mouth. She allowed the rock blocking her path to be moved away by one of the men who escorted her to that place.

"But what… the hell does this all mean?". Her bewilderment was comparable to her growing confusion and the inertia of walking towards the entrails of that darkness poorly lit by a few torches. "What happened?". She turned towards the person who was supposed to give her answers.

"As I mentioned, we were attacked.

"That doesn't explain what I'm seeing here."

More than ten individuals remained lying on the floor, shivering and mumbling nonsense, barely audible to themselves. Nevertheless, what caught her attention the most wasn't their state of vulnerability, but those purple spots on half of their faces and the rest of their bodies.

"What supposed to be those blotches? What is happening?", she demanded to know at all costs.

"During the battle, a strange smoke started to invade the battlefield. All those who inhaled it started presenting those strange blemishes", he described walking towards her. Yes, he looked concerned and anxious about it. "If it were only those simple blotches, there wouldn't be a problem."

"What symptoms have they experienced?", she questioned after kneeling in front of one of the convalescents. She seemed to be checking his pulse and verifying if he had no fever.

"Since they breathed that smoke they began to feel weak, their senses started to fail and their strength began to diminish quickly. And by the moment the spots appeared on their bodies, something even worse happened.", explained who could undoubtedly be considered the medic of the crew. "The smallest amount of light causes them severe damage…". His words were confirmed the moment he moved the upper clothes from the patient the young woman was examining.

"…Their burns… they're pretty awful… It's like they've been exposed to the sun for too long."

"The sunlight wasn't even strong and they had thick clothes on", he uttered.

"… A poison as such is not, but… it's killing them slow and painfully…", stated Oshin with displeasure. "Who the hell did this airhead mess with now?", she casted a sidelong glance at Abuto.

"You're forgetting that part in which we literally became enemies with half of the universe." That's how it had been since they had helped the Kihetai in Edo and faced not only the Shinsengumi but the Yatagarasu as well. Yes, they had become the most wanted in the blink of an eye.

"That only tells me that there are too many people out there that wants to impale you and have your heads over their chimneys", she mentioned with a sinisterly black humor.

"I don't know who's behind all this. The only thing we know is that they've found a way to neutralize the power of the Yato", declared the brunet, irritated and with a strong desire to just leave and exterminate the culprit of such insolent assault.

"And by doing it, they're reduced to nothing more than small puppies with wobbly fangs."

"For the moment, I've found a way to reduce the effects of this strange syndrome. But it's not permanent. It's essential to find an antidote", said the doctor once more. "Sadly, most of the ingredients are running out due to the constant doses that I have to give them to keep them lucid."

"Just tell me what plants we're talking about and I'll take care of the rest", expressed the young woman after standing up. "My services are expensive, keep that in mind."

"I think that this will get a bit more expensive", he mentioned with mockery. "Your services will have to include keeping sedated our stupid captain."

Again, she followed Abuto's steps to the outside without saying anything. Her head was already occupied with thoughts that wouldn't bring her any benefit and that nevertheless bloomed one after the other, like they had their own autonomy, and like they didn't care that she didn't want to deepen once again in them.

She smiled briefly, so momentarily that her expression faded the instant that cold raindrop scurried down her cheek to the damp ground.

" _Life must be ironic enough to make me meet again the person I'm trying to run from… What fascination do people find in those random events they call coincidences? And why did we have to run into each other?"_

The smell of mildew, artificial light from those distant lamps, the coldness of concrete and those thick rusty iron bars that deprived her of her freedom, had turned from the first moment in her eyes abandoned the unconsciousness into her daily scenography, where the only thing that varied was the face of her guard.

She wasn't alone in her state of imprisonment. There were those who remained in the distant corners of the cell, those who stood in front of the bars and uttered insults to those who looked at them from the outside, mocking them. And finally, there also were those who accepted their reality and opted for saving their energy.

She was part of the third group.

"We're all wondering how we ended up in this place", mentioned one of the three men who were resting on the floor; he was the tallest, and with a body so broad one couldn't believe he couldn't take care of the shackles bounding his hands.

"It seems they caught us off guard and we ended up here… like cows without a mark, waiting to be sold", she observed those thick handcuffs and then looked at the dirty floor she was sitting on.

"And what's that thing you're carrying on your back supposed to be?" The curiosity of the second man showed itself.

"Like you can see, it's a chest of drawers", she pointed out for the questioners. "I take it everywhere because it's my…" None of the prisoners uttered another word. What she feared most had come.

"…I'm sure you'll find something useful in our recently acquired merchandise." The Amanto had become the worst enemy of human kind since the moment they descended to Earth and that violent war took place. "Or are you interested in something specific?", questioned the alien to his peculiar clients. "Kids to serve as bait? Work force? Mechanics? Or maybe… some fun?" His hand fit perfectly between the bars, making it easier for him to grab the woman, catching her by surprise. "We have for every taste."

"Get off, get off me right now!", screamed the woman, terrified.

"You should feel proud to be of use to our race. Especially to creatures so powerful like the Yato", shouted the man, smiling.

"Neither women nor children are of our interest", said melodiously his client, a vermillion-haired young man. "If I followed you it's because I thought you had something truly interesting to show us. But I see you've only wasted our time." That smile looked charming, but it hid a sinister and obvious wish.

"N-N-No, of course not, Kamui-dono!" He took it back quickly. "In this cell, we have many interesting things. What do you think of a member of the Dakini Clan as a personal pet? A professional medic? Or maybe some kind of… apothecary?"

"I highly doubt a bunch of mercenaries needs the services an apothecary can offer."

The rest of the prisoners paled the instant that woman opened her mouth, capturing the attention of the one that had indirectly condemned them to never know the term freedom anymore. Did she not realize what she was doing? If she continued talking she'd get them all killed down there, under the look of their captor.

"Correct me if I'm wrong." Her simple answer was directed to the two Yato.

The ruby-red of her gaze suited the white of her skin and made it the most prominent feature of her physical appearance. Then, there was the long, straight jet-black hair she kept loose, hanging down her shoulders and back.

Jeans, long brown boots, a white simple blouse and that aviator hat were the only clothing she was wearing and was enough to go around practicing that particular profession.

"In a certain way, you could be useful to us", intervened Abuto, thinking about it. "Thanks to a certain stupid captain of ours, our doctors on board have more work than usual."

"I'm starting to think you don't precisely know about what I do", she murmured to the brunet, who apparently put her in the category of a doctor's assistant.

"Mmm… If you say so." Kamui didn't really care. He was bored. "She looks kind of frail though. She could break easily." That totally sounded like a passive menace.

"In that case, all you have to do is get rid of her, Kamui-dono." The malicious slave trader went along with him. "What you are seeing here are not more than disposable objects. You shouldn't worry whether one of them breaks or something."

" _Can this be considered as good luck or a death sentence?"_ She didn't understand that feeling of envy she perceived in those who hadn't been chosen by those barbaric men. For her, the only thing that had changed was the name of her owner and the cage in which she'd be locked.

She was taken out from her jail cell, allowed to take with her all her belongings, as well as those oppressive pieces of metal numbing her wrists. Without having time to object, she found herself following quietly those who had become her new owners.

The exterior of the ship was as depressing as the inside decoration. But what could one expect from a group of men dedicated to fight across the universe? And how was that they could live amongst such a mess?

"You'll live here from now on", said the one who had been responsible for giving her a quick tour around the inside of the big ship. "If you want a long life, I recommend you not to anger our dumb captain."

"For him to be so feared, you don't seem to take it easy with the offensive adjectives towards him", said the black-haired woman with her lips twitching into a half smile.

"You'll start to discover how he is." For someone like him, destroying those shackles by only pressing them between his hands was enough to turn them to junk." Done."

"Thank you." She truly felt better now that she could move her hands freely. "By the way, I'm an apothecary, not a doctor. I just make the medicine the doctors prescribe."

"That sounds like someone who could envenom a person without a problem", he joked.

"I could do it if I wanted", she stated with an even tone. "But that shouldn't worry a Yato like you. According to what I know, they're highly resistant to powerful venoms. And in any case, if I wanted to do it, I'd be killed by one of you even before I can think about it."

"You have a sharp tongue, child." The truth was that he wasn't expecting her to talk to him so freely about a potential murder, much less if it was directed to their species.

"If I'm a child, then you're an old geezer", she pointed out viciously. Even that serious face gave place to a mocking gaze and a small smile.

"Geezer?!" First his dumb captain, and now this stranger. Nobody seemed to respect him.

"Besides, I don't know why you see me as a kid." She crossed her arms, letting that pair of attributes shut the Yato up completely.

"Ah, well… I take that back…"

The rules inside that ship were simple, and consisted basically in not getting in the way of any of the members of the crew, and in carrying out the tasks that let them continue being useful individuals. And for that simple reason, she didn't understand exactly why she had been demoted from her profession as an apothecary to being another waitress who had to bring food as quickly as possible for those men with an appetite as scary as their physical strength.

"Oshin-chan, you should smile more. If they don't like your attitude, they could kill you." The black-haired had gone still, waiting beside two other waitresses until they were called.

"I'm sorry, but I don't like to falsely smile to please anybody", she criticized severely. "If I do my job well, they don't have reasons to kill me."

"We're telling you this for your own sake, because you're new and don't know how things work here", said the second one making her company.

"I appreciate your advice, but I don't need them", she informed them with a neutral tone. "The only thing I'm wondering is how they can gobble down so much food like they were human vacuums."

"Oshin-chan!" The pair reprimanded her.

"Doesn't it smell like something's burning?"

The black-haired woman wasn't going insane. A real chaos was starting inside the kitchen, and it didn't look so well. Not with all that black smoke starting to leak to what could be called a dining room.

However, the problem wasn't the small fire starting to spread, but what came after that.

"What happened to her?!", screamed one of the young women, horrified, as soon as she saw her comrade lying on the floor, foam coming out of her mouth, and her gaze totally lost.

"Keep quiet and don't inhale any of it until we get out of here", ordered Oshin with a cloth covering her nose and mouth, while she ran toward the exit with the young woman following her steps." This is enough, give me your shirt as well."

"But what nonsense are you talking about!?" They had left to the dining room, closing the door immediately, locking all that smoke in that room and, with it, all the people who didn't manage to get out in time. "What are you doing!?" Oshin was using her shirt to cover any leaks. And she didn't seem to have the patience enough to wait for the woman to react. "But what…!?"

"You want to kill us all?", she asked, already with the garment of the other woman in her hands, to finish her job. "I'm surprised that something capable of killing a human could do this to a Yato."

"I think… we have a problem", she called the red-eyed woman as soon as she saw those intimidating men appear in the hallway, clearly with hostile intentions. And not only that, they were coming with someone else that she knew perfectly.

"I saw her myself last night, preparing that strange powder and then putting it in a small bottle… She was mentioning she was done with being treated as just an animal and that she'd personally take care of all of you." That earthling in front of them was the same holding the title of the ship's doctor and was now taking care of making false accusations.

"If that's true we don't have any more reasons to keep her alive." That Yato didn't know the word compassion, and found himself pointing his umbrella to the face of the accused. One movement was enough to pull the trigger and blow her head off right there.

"I'm not the person you're looking for", she affirmed, without taking her eyes from those of the man who could become her executioner. "And I'm going to prove it."

Her foot hit a small rock, making it roll away from her, showing her that she had spent enough time disconnected from the world to not notice having arrived at the most remote entrails of the woods, which could only be accessed by circling the waterfall.

Abandoned and worn out, the small shack was still standing despite the harshness of time and the passing of the years. It was well enough to be home to any lost traveler, tired after the long journey.

"Nothing good happens when you're quiet for too long." Abuto was shooting her a sideways glance, waiting for any reaction. The only think he saw was a woman, soaked by the rain, who wished to stay as much as she wished to leave.

"I was remembering useless stuff", she specified to the man watching her. "Have we arrived?", she asked without really having to, because it was clear that they had.

"Try not to kill each other", he joked, letting her in.

"If he's in the same state your other men are, little or nothing he will be able to do to me", she said, standing in front of the only door of the cabin. "A beast with so sharp fangs cannot be easily domesticated."

She opened the door without hesitation, focusing in the only thing she had came looking for. It was in that instant when her own words turned sour in her own mouth.

Her pupils shifted warily, incapable of believing what they were seeing so ridiculously close, and that nevertheless felt it was so far away it could be considered unreal. But sadly, it was all happening; she knew it as soon as what was left of those vivid orbs focused on their own.

"The effects in him took more time to develop, and for that reason he kept fighting until his own body made him stop."

"He's lost… a lot of blood…" The bandages covered in such precious liquid remained stacked in the farthest corner, so recent that they still kept that crimson hue." And his entire right arm… it's totally…"

Her steps were slow but firm. Her attention wanted nothing more than to turn away from that incomprehensible scene. The objectivity was dangerously slipping away from her; and that would do nothing more than slow down her job.

She took a seat by his bed, right beside the arm who had been painted entirely by that horrendous purple. Then she sensed his quiet breathing and saw the wounds that he had gotten all over his chest, which had been meticulously bandaged to stop the bleeding.

Therefore, it was that vague gaze that seemed to recognize her, but that at the same time didn't at all. Yes, that fiery gaze that she remembered so much wasn't there. The man she had known for an entire year had vanished without her even realizing it, and had left behind a shell she denied to accept.

"When he didn't immediately feel the effects, he kept inhaling more of that smoke and the consequences were much worse than the rest of the crew", he murmured as he was on auto-pilot. "Although now that I think about it, the result would have been the same even if he had experienced any symptom."

"It's hard to believe that the man lying here declared he'd become the strongest man in the universe. I'm sure he managed to not let anybody standing." She extended her right hand to his face, with caution, as if she feared him. Or maybe there was another reason for her caution.

"Hey, damn it, what are you doing!?", exclaimed Abuto as quickly as his senses allowed him. "Stop…!"

Her biggest mistake was to be reckless and lower her guard only because of his actual condition. She knew it instantly as soon as her wrist was hardly grabbed with enough strength to keep her quiet, long enough for the injured Yato to knock her down on the floor, smashing his free fist against her vulnerable abdomen.

The floor gave way beneath the power of the onslaught, and left the young woman half-buried between debris and dust.

"Only you can come out with stupid ideas like these." Abuto was holding tightly his out-of-control captain, saving the black-haired woman from a certain death.

"N-not… even someone like him can… tolerate that much… He'll fall asleep in a short time." That awful taste of iron didn't leave her tongue even though she had already spit all the blood that attack had made her cough. There was also the pain that numbed all that delicate area of her stomach.

"You and your unorthodox plans." He wasn't lying. A little dart with a powerful sleeping drug had been stabbed on the young captain's neck and sent him to the world of dreams. "I clearly told you not to kill each other."

"…Ungh… To be weaker, he still has a lot of strength." She wasn't in a hurry to stand up and, simultaneously, she wanted to catch her breath. "But I feel offended for not taking his best hit."

"You really are insane", he stated, smiling and with some delight.

"Didn't I tell you, Abuto? I hate this man, and all that he represents… I loathe him to the point that I want to kill him and save him at the same time."


	2. Resolution

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mononoke is a Japanese animated television series. A spin-off of 2006's horror anthology series Ayakashi: Samurai Horror Tales. Mononoke follows the character of the medicine seller as he continues to face a myriad of supernatural perils.

She had asked him to follow her without any objections while he carried his unconscious captain, who was, by the time being, nothing but a docile puppy. And while he was curious to ask her where they were headed, the best thing was to shut up and not say anything until she herself spoke to him.

After going through the bamboo forest, he finally saw their destination. But who would build a mansion like that, practically in the middle of nowhere? And even if one could think it was completely abandoned, it was quite the opposite. From the perfectly cared-for exterior, to that garden of medicinal plants, everything looked flawless.

They went through the front door, walked a long hallway and reached the room that had to undoubtedly serve as her working area. There were lots of specimens on every shelf he looked at; they were ordered by collection date, origin and species; everything in that place was meticulously organized.

"Why the look of surprise?", she questioned the man who was looking at her like she was a freak.

"I'm just surprised how frighteningly tidy is everything here."

"This is the place where I make my preparations, everything has to be this way or it would be a total mess." She looked at her desk; the mortar and the plants she had been grinding were still there. "After we take care of that idiot, you bring the rest of the crew here."

"Are you sure they can stay here?"

"My house is better than those filthy places you chose for your people", she pointed out. "Besides, if they're here it's less probable they'll be found."

"Always so strict." He sighed heavily. "You are going somewhere?"

"I'll tell you where to lock that dumb captain of yours before I leave." She shoots him a small but wicked smile.

After their brief talk, she took him to the basement of the house, which was perfectly clean, to the surprise of the Yato; there was even a bed and some simple furniture, that gave the room a more domestic air.

"Lay him on the bed. We'll leave him there for the time being." While she talked she was checking an old chest near the stairs that took them down there.

"You've chosen a pretty isolated place to live." He had already managed to lay the unconscious man on the bed. "What are you…?"

"If he's going out of control again at least let's make it hard for him." Her words turned to reality the moment he saw how she immobilized the young man with some shackles. "These are strong enough to resist Kamui's strength… or at least that's what I think."

"What do you mean you think!? Anyway… where did you get something like that from? Are you that kind of a woman? Are you into that kind of fetishes?"

"I can put one of these on you if it got you that excited." That could sound like a joke, but she was being serious.

"The stupid one with a death wish is him, not me."

"That's what I thought." And that's how she put that second pair of shackles away. "The blotches didn't keep spreading. Isn't it weird?"

"In theory, they should be getting worse. However…"

"Well, we should have to examine the rest and see if the same thing happens", she said, more to herself than anything. "But changing the subject, did you recognize which kind of Amanto ambushed you? I doubt they're the master mind behind this mess but at least we'd have something."

"They were undoubtedly from the Tokague clan. They're clever creatures and pretty agile in the battlefield, but I doubt they're smart enough to have made a weapon like that."

"Certainly", she agreed. "Which means we actually have nothing."

"We took care of destroying the whole ship when we got here. We even got rid of all its crew…", he told her remembering the facts in his head. "But it was in that moment when the whole place started to fill with that smoke and those beasts were freed."

"Even dead they beat you guys up."

"One could say we weren't so lucky." He gave her a half-smile with that relaxed air so typical of him at times.

"Are you sure you have no symptoms and you're not just trying to look cool in front of me?"

"I was out of that ship with a few others, finishing cleaning up the battlefield.", he said. "So, I was lucky and didn't swallow that damn smoke."

"For the time being, don't get out of this place and for god's sake don't cause a ruckus here that can give away your location, understand?" When had the tables turned and she had become the one to give out orders and lectures?

"When you speak like that you remember me of my mother", he joked.

"Your mother must have been a great woman, then." She was obviously going to return the insult.

"Have you gotten so tired of these old guys that you want to leave?" He couldn't blame her. If he could he'd also take off, leaving Kamui there sleeping.

"Some plants that I need, I don't have them here, so I'll have to go out", she explained as soon as she finished climbing the stairs. "Besides, as vice-captain, it's your duty and pride to care about the well-being of your dear captain."

"And there she goes again… Always complaining about that idiot when she does the same…" There was nothing left but giving up, so that's how he, like a good subordinate, took a seat and began his long vigil.

How many times had she told him to clean up his room before going out to play with his friends? Was it that this new generations were destined to be some rebels without a cause or was it just that he got distracted with something else? After all, no matter where she looked, she couldn't find the sneaky kid.

"Is something wrong, Hinowa?", asked the blonde, with a curious look. She had just gotten back to the store and saw the worried look on the woman's face.

"I can't find Seita anywhere", she said worried. "He's not in his room, or outside, playing with his friends. He's not that kind of kid."

"I don't think you should worry so much about him", the blonde replied. "He can take care of himself."

"Even if you say so, I can't help but feel worried." She was going to continue expressing her uneasiness, but apparently, she was just exaggerating. At least that's how she felt as soon as she saw her dear son coming in.

"Where were you? You had your mother very worried", said Tsukuyo after blowing out some smoke from her pipe.

"Ah, I'm sorry mom", the kid apologized right away. "I was just… a little busy. There's nothing to worry about."

"Don't do that again, are you understand?", the black-haired woman made him promise.

"I promise", he answered solemnly. "I'll go finish my homework now." Those were his last words before he ran inside. However, there was a little detail that didn't go unnoticed by the two women.

"Weren't those…?"

"Flowers?", finished the purple-eyed woman with disbelief. "You think… he is…?"

"He's too young for that stuff, Tsukuyo."

"You know, now that I think about it… Lately I always see him coming home with a girl", murmured the woman.

"Excuse me, good afternoon." Their motherly talk would have to wait. Seemingly, they had a new client.

"Oh, it's you, Oshin-kun", greeted the woman warmly.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I came to pick up my chest of drawers." Her crimson gaze settled on the farthest corner of the place. "I see it has… been used for all kind of toys." There were so many censored areas that she wasn't so sure anymore if it was a good or a bad idea to take that damned box back.

"Go ahead, you can take it."

"T-thanks…" No matter how careful she was when she touched those flashy and colorful toys, they made some grotesque sounds. They even shined.

"Those are this season's new models. You can take one for free, if you want." How could she look so innocent and pure when she sold sex toys of such ridiculous sizes?

"Ah, I, I think I… pass." The quicker she finished grabbing her stuff, the farthest away she would be from this perverted place. "By the way, Hinowa, are they opening a new store next door?"

"So", she said. "Who you would open a flower shop?"

"The kind of person who'd think of opening an apothecary", mentioned Tsukki to the young woman who was already carrying such a large bag.

"Who do you think sells STD medication to those damned lecherous men whose only working head is the one they have down there, huh? Who do you think they go to when their little soldiers retreat from war before even beginning it and that just think of going back to their comfortable home?" Her services were clearly of much use to the district of Yoshiwara.

"You certainly have a point there", praised Hinowa for her mental acuity for business.

"Since I got here I've made some juicy profits." It's not like she liked working in the red-light district, but that's all there was.  _"These kinds of places remind me of him… "_ , she said to herself. "By the way, I have a question."

"About what?", Tsukuyo said.

"Where can I find the Yorozuya?"

After her arrival to Edo she never had the chance of getting to know it well. Her only knowledge about that city of extinct samurai was of the red-light district where men found carnal pleasure, and the area where her house was located. But thanks to the simple indications Tsukuyo gave her, she managed to get to the most feared district of the country: Kabuki district.

From her point of view, it wasn't more than a vile neighborhood neglected by the government, therefore it was infested by vagabonds, scary-looking people, and establishments that sold products of dubious origin, not to mention that one had to be careful or their belongings would be gone in the blink of an eye.

However, she didn't feel uncomfortable walking through a place like that, either. In a certain way, it had its own charm; it was so showy and noisy that it felt welcoming to foreigners like her.

"This must definitely be it." She stopped in front of that snack house. It looked like they were having a blast in there. "Good evening, can I, by any chance find the Yorozuya he-…?" She fell silent as soon as she pulled the sliding door open. They had to be kidding. "Uhm, I think I'm mistaken." She slammed the door shut, trying to forget what she just saw. "W-wait… was that a baby!? A baby, really…it-it's huge! Where does it come from, the land of the giants!? And what was supposed to be doing that glasses freak!? Was that a pillow? It was! And if it was why was he kissing it so passionately!? And why was there a man dressed in a kimono and cat ears!? In which kind of crazy dimension did I get myself into!?" She tried to compose herself but that had been too much for what she was used to. It wasn't hard to believe that she was now leaning against the nearest wall, hyperventilating.

"Uh… were you looking for us?" She turned around slowly with that drama so typical of a soap opera where the protagonist reencounters the love of her life.

"Ah, yes, but I think I got the wrong address", she mentioned, blinking a few times. In front of her stood a grown man dressed only in a diaper, carrying a ridiculous bow and a pair of wings glued to his back.

"We're the Yorozuya" spoke the one on his right. Who in appearance would be the most normal, if she hadn't seen him not a minute ago showing too much affection towards an inanimate object. "His name's Gin-san. I'm Shinpachi and she is Kagura."

"Hello", said the Yato with her finger digging inside her right nostril. "You needed something?"

" _It's hard to believe they're the same from that last time… It's like something's not right here."_  After seeing them fighting ferociously against the Harusame in the Rakuyou planet it was hard to see them in their 'natural state'. "I'm sorry. My name is Oshin", she introduced herself. "And I've come here to ask you for a job."

"Impossible, impossible", claimed Gintoki with a lazy expression on his face. "We've been very busy lately. We've taken a vacation, you see."

"The only thing I see is you taking that from your nose and wiping it on that four-eyed freak's head."

"Eh!? Gin-san, what the hell are you doing!? And who are you calling a four-eyed freak!? We've just met and you're already insulting me!? Why are you pretending you didn't just say something offensive to me!?"

"The pay will be good enough." She put her chest of drawers on the floor, opening the lower drawer and letting them see what she so meticulously kept there. "It's an ancient dagger but it's valuable. It's made entirely of gold and I'm sure you can sell it for a good price."

"Hey, wait a moment… Don't tell me you're…" The silver haired took a few steps back with an expression so serious it could make more than one person quiet. And that simple reaction left his viewers confused.

" _Is it possible he remembers who I am? I know we crossed paths during that battle with the Harusame in the planet of the Yato… But I didn't think he was the kind of man who pays attention to details."_

"It's all clear now", he nodded, again and again, looking at her closely. "For a few days now I've noticed that my savings have been diminishing drastically with no apparent reason."

"I'm sorry to say this, Gin-san, but you've lost it all in the Pachinko. You're just trying to escape from reality."

"And yesterday while I was reading the Jump all the lamps started flickering until it all went dark." It was amazing how hilarious he sounded while telling his story and trying not to lose his mind.

"That was because we didn't pay the bills this month", said Kagura.

"Maybe with what I've told you, you can find its Figure, its Truth and its Reason, and be able to eradicate it from our house." He grabbed her both arms. How could he look so serious while spouting nonsense like that?

"Uhm… I think you're confused… I'm not that 'kind of apothecary'. I really just sell medicine."

"You don't need to be so shy, Oshin-chan. I'll keep your secret from all those ignorant who don't realize that our beautiful Yorozuya is being attacked by a dangerous and powerful Mononoke*. And that if they get distracted it could devour all of us and send us to a twisted world from where we could never escape."

"No, like I'm trying to say… I'm not a Mononoke exterminator, I just want you to accept my job request."

"What do you mean our house is possessed by a Mononoke!? Wait, in the first place, what the hell's supposed to be a Mononoke!?"

"Shinpachi-kun, what kind of samurai are you if you don't know something as simple as that? What am I supposed to have taught you all these years, huh? Don't embarrass me in front of our client."

"Actually, the only one who's embarrassing us is you. You should just shut up and let her speak. In fact, you should stop reading those weird magazines because they're already affecting you."

"Mmm… This is delicious.", said the Yato. Was is too late to save those pastries that Oshin had kept in the upper drawer of her box?

"I'm truly sorry. They're total idiots", the glasses-wearing boy apologized after having calmed that pair down with a well-deserved blow from his bokken. "We'll gladly hear your request."

She perhaps regretted having gone looking for the Yorozuya but she had already entered their humble establishment. Therefore, she couldn't go back; all that was left was for her to just tell them the problem at hand.

"Well? What is it you want us to take care of?" Gintoki Sakata was finally fully dressed and looked like his sanity had come back to him at least for the moment.

"I want you to get an object back for me", she told them at the same time she pulled a picture from her pocket. "It's a family sword that's been passed down for generations. It's been known by many as 'Burakkusouru'."

"One doesn't see much of this kind of swords now." To the eyes of people with little knowledge of swords, it was nothing more than a piece of forged metal whose sharp blade was of an intriguing black color. "Where did you see it for the last time?"

"In the hands of its stupid owner", she said with annoyance. "He usually takes it with him and never lets it out of his sight but he had one too many that night, going from bar to bar… Next day, he realized he no longer had it with him." Why was she surrounded by such stupid people? "He's personally asked me to look for it around Edo, but I don't have the time nor I'm in the mood to do it. So that's why I've come to you."

"That kind of samurai shouldn't even be breathing… A self-respecting samurai would never lose his sword. It's like he lost his soul, like someone ripped one of his arms off. The sword is so vital for a samurai like the butter on a toast every morning at breakfast", he proclaimed at the top of his lungs. "Scum like that should just commit seppuku!"

"Says the samurai who has lost his sword more than ten times after a night out drinking or when you leave to the cabaret? You should take your own advice and end your life right now, Gin-san."

"Take your time to look for it and bring it back to me." The negotiations had been done, thus the best was to stand and leave as soon as possible. "When you finish my request, take the sword with you to Yoshiwara and I'll personally give you the rest of the reward there."

"Shinpachi, did you hear the same thing I heard?", he questioned the other one, exchanging glances. "She's telling us she'll 'give us the rest of the reward' in Yoshiwara. You know what that means?"

"That she works there or that it's easier for her to go there for the exchange?"

"Error, error!" If he didn't understand with words, he would with a beating. "You think a woman like her would be in Yoshiwara selling medicine to those losers who only have their d*** to decorate during Christmas while the rest of the year grow them spider webs there?"

"Actually, that's what I do."

"Of course not!", he exclaimed with fervent motivation. "Look at those thighs, perfectly defined by the daily effort of her noble work! Look at her slender waist and that skin so smooth she'd be the envy of any lustful fifteen-year-old girl! And don't forget that pair of b-…!"

"Why did you hit me as well, Kagura-chan!?", groaned Shinpachi in pain before passing out. It looked like someone had gotten tired of their chit chat and had sent them to be one with the floor, literally.

"Sadaharu and I want to sleep. So, stay quiet or we'll make you sleep outside." Her blue eyes moved from the two idiots to Oshin. "They're just stupid and never think with the right head. Just ignore them or hit them."

"I see you've got them well trained", she congratulated the girl. "Would you come with me for dinner, Kagura-chan?", she invited politely.

"Really?" She didn't think twice about if it involved food. "Can we have ramen or maybe… meat?" By only imagining it, she was already drooling all over the floor.

"Sure, we'll have whatever you like."

It was the first time she went to that restaurant, mostly because she didn't have enough money to pay for the house specialty. So, she was more than eager to try the menu and brag to both her friends about how lucky she had been.

"What am I going to order?" They had both found an available table and while Oshin sat with her arms crossed, the other girl looked at the menu with anticipation; it was like a little girl who couldn't control her excitement.

"You can order whatever you want", the older woman told the blue-eyed girl. "Even the whole menu."

"Seriously!?" The girl was crying tears of joy. She had even thrown herself over the black-haired woman to hug her with her superhuman strength. "Kami-sama really exists and has sent me an angel." She moved away from her to start ordering all dishes from the menu to the scared waitress.

"Can I ask you something, Kagura-chan?"

"Anything, she answered, smiling.

"Are you enjoying your stay here on Earth?", she asked quickly. "I've heard you belong to one of the most dangerous races of the universe and that the sun isn't too healthy for you all."

"Earth is an amazing place", she assured passionately. "I've met wonderful people like Gin-san or Shinpachi-kun. I even have an amazing pet." Yes, because that giant dog had escorted them to the restaurant; he was out there, moving his tail from side to side. "Even if Papi isn't here, I don't feel alone."

"Maybe I should do the same and move to one of these districts. If I have some luck, I might even find a pair of idiot friends like yours."

"Um? You don't live here?"

"Technically no", she replied. "I came here temporarily. And although I was thinking on leaving, it seems I've been found by the people I less wished to see again."

"Does that mean you're a fugitive bride who's been traveling around the universe trying to leave her stupid and good for nothing fiancé behind? Which was picked by your father since you were a little girl and now that you've grown up he wants you to get married."

"…It's scary the imagination the kids have nowadays…  _This pair of siblings aren't just different. They're much more than that_..." She inhaled and calmed down again. Perhaps dealing with Kamui for all this time was affecting her behavior with normal people who didn't have just murder in their heads. "While we have dinner, why don't you tell me more about the Yorozuya and yourself?"

He was sure a few hours had passed since Oshin left, but he hadn't felt them at all. Due to his own exhaustion, he had fallen completely asleep, ignoring everything around him, even his own captain. Nevertheless, he was surprised when he woke up.

"You've finally come to?", he asked out of mere courtesy as soon as he saw the usual dumb expression the blue-eyed man possessed.

"What happened?" The only thing he remembered was the beginning of that battle and how much he enjoyed butchering those wild beasts that could compare to him in strength.

"It was to be expected that you wouldn't remember a thing." The man scratched the back of his neck and sighed. The truth was that he wasn't in the mood to be doing didactic rundown to him.

"If I'm like this, it means this was her idea." There was that smile on his lips again, while he moved his hands; his wrists and ankles were tightly bound by thick shackles that took away his mobility.

"She thought that those shackles would look good on you. They even match the color of your eyes, captain." Yes, in a certain way he was enjoying the bad moment of the Yato.

"Well, Abuto, do you know who were the ones who led us to Earth and ambushed us? They've really made a complete mess here, you see." For some reason, he was impatient to know the name of their current enemies.

"Don't make that face, idiot", he muttered, pissed. "It was your fault we ended up this way."

"They started it by attacking us", he said. "We couldn't let them leave just like that." Why did he look that excited instead of thinking on the consequences of his irrational decisions?

"You should've realized something was wrong when they started leading us to this planet." If only he heard half of his advices, the Yato Clan wouldn't have such a dark future.

"You can't deny that it was fun."

"Fun?", he replied ironically. "After what happened with Harusame and all that our strengths have been cut in half or more. And now they're trying to exterminate us like we're simple lab rats."

"Which only means they're interesting opponents", he smiled broadly with that sadistic look on his face, eager to taste new blood, to try that emotion that only strong opponents could make him feel.


	3. Unchain

"Abuto told me you were awake." Now, the man sitting on the edge of the bed was that ex-captain of hers.

"You have a very cozy house. Did you decorate it yourself?" She was more than used to see him with that deceitful smile on his lips. "Don't you feel like you're suffocating in such a small place? ", he asked with a frightening honesty.

"Not really", she answered calmly. It wasn't like she couldn't fall for his provocations, it was just that there was nothing to argue about right then. "I'm used to this kind of places, Kamui. But it's understandable if someone like you doesn't get it."

"You're certainly right about that", he replied, staring right at her with those blue eyes "But I see that after all you still have the same mentality."

"Well, that's the way I decided to live", she said holding his gaze.

"But I wonder what would have happened if, in that moment, it had been you whose life was taken away and not that dumb doctor's? Life is full of weird twists and turns, don't you think?" For those who didn't know him, it looked like that man did nothing but exude a friendly and comforting aura.

"I don't know, I'm no fortune teller… You might be in some other planet, killing everything that gets in your way… or dead because of that strange disease that's taken hold of your body." He just chuckled and shot her a pensive look.

"You still got that black sense of humor, like always, Oshin."

"I don't see you've changed much since the last time we saw each other", she refuted. "But it's fine like this, don't you think?"

"Abuto didn't mention it, but it seems that you are kind of interested in our adversaries", the young man said, amused.

"Hey, I hope you guys are not forgetting about my fees." It was better to make everything clear. "And it's not that I'm interested, I've been dragged into all this." She knew that wasn't all true, but she didn't care about lying.

"You've always been good at lying, but this time your acting wasn't so good." The black-haired woman just pursed her lips in frustration. "Just as Abuto you've got a bad habit. And it could cost both of your lives."

"I appreciate the worry for your subordinate and mine's safety, but we'll be fine", she told him sarcastically. "You should think on how you'll face an enemy who knows how to beat the power of the Yato; and do it with the little power you have left." She directed her steps towards him. "You can be as strong as you want, but you still don't have fangs as sharp as to tear everything apart.

"Oh, you don't need to worry about me", he pointed out, looking at her with great amusement. "I'm strong enough to come out alive from all this."

"I wouldn't bet all my money on that", the girl stated venomously.  _How can he be that presumptuous after what happened here or what happened with his father months ago? Is it because he's an idiot and can't even distinguish when he's in danger or when everything's against him? Or does he only act like this because he's a damned addict to battles?_

"Uhm, by the way… You think you could take these shackles off?", he asked as if he was a little kid.

"So, you can try to murder all of us? Absolutely not." She wasn't taking that risk again. "You better get used to them. Because I'm not taking them off until we're sure you won't try to cut our heads off."

"Tsh… It'll be uncomfortable to eat this way." This was Kamui, and the second thing that could satisfy his body and soul was food.

"Ah, that's true, you haven't eaten in days."

Abuto, who had gone to check on the rest of their squad, had also used that moment to eat and get some fresh air. However, he had responsibilities to take care of, so he had to get back to his captain and pray he didn't try something crazy like escaping.

So, without another thought he went down to the basement and was rendered speechless as soon as his eyes saw what many people would consider an impossible event who could trigger the next cataclysm.

"Mmm…What is going on here?", he smirked, amused, as if he was enjoying the scene; although he was clearly enjoying it. "What did I miss, huh? I leave the room for half an hour and this is what I come back to", the man said, as if he was reciting a monologue. "If you think about it, it's pretty funny… But now you're even eating calmly both of you, like close, old acquaintances."

"Just shut the hell up, Abuto", groaned the crimson-eyed woman. As if that wasn't enough she threw that wooden bucket at him, which until a few seconds ago had been full of rice.

"The stubborn and temperamental Oshin feeding our stupid and sadistic captain… But what a wonderful scene." Thanks to his skill he had managed to dodge both the first heavy object she threw at him and the other two that followed.

"This idiot wanted me to take the shackles off him and I can't do that."

"So, you opted for feeding him yourself?" Someone was enjoying the whole situation. "It's so touching what you're doing, Oshin."

"He's like a vacuum. All I have to do is bend the plate and he takes care of the rest."

"Like a pet", said the brunet.

"I'd never have such a dangerous animal as a pet." On one hand, she was complaining and on the other she continued pushing those fried shrimps to Kamui's mouth without mercy. Surprisingly, he didn't choke and kept scarfing it all down.

"And it seems he's got an even worse appetite than usual." On the floor one could see the whole lot of piled up plates. That man was like a bottomless pit.

"You're one to talk, when you're the same as him."

"Hey, don't compare me to this caveman! At least I have table manners."

"I say it and I say it again, the food here on Earth is the best", the young man told his captor. "Thank you for the food." He was more than satisfied. "Did you make it all yourself, Oshin?"

"I'm sure she did it with all her hea-…" Abuto shut up abruptly. And could it have been differently? The black-haired woman had finally hit her target; in other words, his face.

"It was you who confined me to a kitchen." She was obviously not amused by it. "Being that much time there without learning how to cook would've been a crime."

"I'll be eagerly waiting for dinner~"

"Ah…!? But what… are you saying!? It's only six o'clock." That man's voracious appetite always scared her.

"Abuto, now that you're awake, I want you to start looking around", he requested the older man. "If they led us to Earth, that means the person behind our hunt is right here, or, in any case, they'll soon arrive to this planet to make sure they've gotten rid of us. And probably, what they're doing isn't the only thing they want to accomplish."

"You speak like a real captain occasionally." As the second in command there was nothing left but to get to work. "They've already tried once, we won't let them do whatever they want with us."

"Make sure you're discreet. I don't think it would be a good idea to put on a show here", the young woman recommended.

"You've been living here, right? You know better than us how to move yourself in this county." He was looking at her out of the corner of his eye with a gentle smile on his lips. She immediately knew about his intentions.

"The only thing I want to know is if you've got enough money in your hands. None of this will be cheap."

The sky was totally clear until a few hours ago, so why now that they were out of the comfort of her house, had started such a downpour? And above all things, why did everyone look so stunned to see two persons sharing an umbrella, when everything around them wasn't more than courtesan meeting places? The morality in that district was too messed up.

"This wasn't what I meant with 'being discreet´, Abuto", she stated, looking forward.

"I let the rest of us look around. I told them to be careful."

"Them moving around between dark alleys makes them nothing more than dangerous suspects. People will start fearing you guys." She supposed that none of those men knew very well the definition of sneaking in and watching in silence. "Well, I want to believe that nobody here remembers your face."

"This place has changed a lot since the King of the Night fell." Yoshiwara wasn't just a toy box deprived of the sun and its freedom anymore. Even know, in the rain, the moon shone proud and majestic over them. "Now that the Harusame has dissolved there's no one now that holds such a presumptuous title."

"But that doesn't mean another Harusame won't be born in the coming years, wishing to take over all vital force from this planet", she pointed out.

"You're certainly right."

"Well, where should we start looking?" They had stopped in the middle of the busy street, trying to plan their next move. However, it was like they were doomed to be recognized. "Seita, why are you looking at me with that face full of fear?"

The kid had approached them because he recognized Oshin and wanted to greet her. But he wasn't expecting her to be with such an individual. Yes, the boy recognized him immediately; that trauma wouldn't abandon him so easily.

"Shi-san, get away from that monster, he's dangerous!", screamed the brunet as loud as he could, scaring every person passing by. "He…he…!"

"What the hell did you do to him? Look how you left him. He's all traumatized", she told the other man quietly.

"Uhm… I'm not here looking for trouble or anything like that. So, stop making a scene for nothing, kid."

"Then… what are you looking for? Are you holding her hostage?" He could be small and powerless, but he wouldn't abandon a friend in danger.

"Seita, that is something easy to explain", she answered, looking at the boy. "As my fiancé, he's come to see me. And now that he's here, we wanted to have a nice walk." The kid wasn't the only one speechless; the veteran was the same, both were looking at her in utter astonishment. "I know he had an unforgivable behavior a long time ago but we all make mistakes, don't you think? And I would like you to think of him as a man who won't ever put his hands on Yoshiwara or another district in Edo."

"…!?" The green-eyed boy moved his surprised gaze from her to the Yato. That kind of 'news' would cause great damage to his heart. "WHAT!? He's too old for you, besides, he's a killer! He could be your father!" The boy grabbed his head like it had a life of its own and wanted to escape his body.

"Sometimes, things like this just happen", she said, nodding a few times. "When you grow up you'll realize age doesn't matter when you find the right person." She had to hold Abuto's arm to make the whole scene more believable. "So don't be scared."

"Well, if Shi-san is happy… then I guess it's fine." He was a little better after the shock. And now he was just smiling with some relief at them.

"Are you sure about telling such a lie to him?", questioned the brunet after Seita took off and left them alone. "That's not precisely the best way to keep quiet. Moreover, it will become louder"

"If you ask me, it's better this way." She played the whole thing down. "Besides, it's not my fault he recognized you.

"At this rate, you should be awarded for your good acting", he inquired, looking at her. "First what happened with that fool and now this."

"You better walk faster or I'll leave you behind." The scoundrel had picked up the pace so she wouldn't have to put up with the man's teasing.  _The faster we finish this matter, the easier it'll be to get my old life back._

He had gone to that kingdom not only with a goal to achieve but also with the solid promise that he'd find an adversary worthy of his abilities and strength. However, the only thing he came across was that irascible beast, whose only thing to offer him was its succulent meat, which he found himself cooking at that moment.

Maybe he had gotten too excited Maybe he should've known not to get his hopes up so much. After all, he was the greatest alien hunter in the entire galaxy.

"At least the meat tastes good." Another day, another piece of meat. At least he should feel happy to be able to pay the bills.

"I'm truly sorry that the hunting was that boring, Umibouzu-sama", addressed him the man next to him, the same one whose face resembled that of a sly fox. "Our species distinguish itself for possessing great knowledge about the whole universe not for being powerful creatures like you, the Yato."

"It's like the waters have calmed suddenly."

"It might be due to the universe being in a state of chaos after what happened in your home planet, Umibouzu-sama", he assured. "But darkness is never late to appear once again in the horizon."

"I've heard rumors about your species", spoke up the man after having finished eating. "That they can see the future."

"Sir, you wouldn't believe in that kind of lies, would you?" The man smiled briefly.

"You can simply deny it and that's it."

"Because it's you, sir, I'll make an exception", he mentioned calmly. "Our vast knowledge about the universe, about the stars and all that surrounds us, allows us to establish premises. Possible scenarios that may occur to somebody or a whole planet."

"That's why you've been feared by many Amanto. Although that same reason has lead you to be protected by other species."

"We're nothing more than simple tools for the rest that are not like us." The Yato couldn't relate more to him. "Stupid people believe we can change their futures only because we're capable of seeing it. And for reasons as trivial as those, many of my people have been murdered or taken hostage."

"You were the ones who declared the extinction of my race."

"Well, I don't need to be a foreseer to be able to predict something like that", he gave him a cheeky smile. "The Yato Clan are really unfortunate creatures. You could even say their existence in itself is miserable… The blood that runs through their veins blinds their hearts, turns them to wild beasts that can only know pleasure in fighting and death. They're so weak that they don't know how to live with their own people, and too foolish to understand that the bonds they build with others can be transformed to an even bigger strength than what they already have."

"You're damn right." A brief smile settled on Umibouzu's face, like a reminder that he had a daughter who thought so differently from the rest of their species that little girl who wanted to use her strength to protect people and not to hurt them.

"Umibouzu-san, do you think you could agree to another job before going back home?"

"What's it about this time?"

"We need you to help us get an old ship of ours back."

"Come again?" It was the first time he'd been asked something like that. He was a hunter not someone who parked interstellar vehicles.

"It's a commercial ship who took off from her a few weeks ago. But it hasn't come back and we haven't gotten any answer from them", he informed the other man. "We think it might have been taken by some space pirate."

"Why don't you just use your crystal ball and find out where it is?"

"Our divination arts only work on human beings, Umibouzu-sama", he noted. "So, do you accept our request?"

"I think my dear Kagura-chan will have to wait a little more before seeing his Papi again." Adventure just never stopped flowing through his veins.

Outer space was nothing more than an endless plain of constellations, stars in infinite cycles of death and rebirth, of planets who had been quickly visited by human beings, and of unbelievable mysteries that had not even been revealed to even the Amanto themselves. Yes, that world which could be seen past the thick windows, despite how well-known it was, it continued being wild and extremely dangerous.

But for men who had entirely devoted to sail in such treacherous confines, it wasn't more than a repetitive scenery that didn't mean much to them. To that point, what they really cared about was to successfully take the valuable shipment they had acquired a few days ago.

"Captain, we'll soon arrive to our destination." The subordinate addressed the tall and robust man of greenish skin and black hair.

"Is the merchandise in a good condition? If something were to happen to those precious objects, our heads will roll. You understand that, right?"

"Everything is in perfect order, captain", he assured, offering him his respects.

"Perfect. I'll leave now, it's time to take my power nap." His resting time had to be suspended unless he wanted his ship to sink completely because of the attacks it was receiving. "But who is attacking us!? Didn't you choose the safest route!?", yelled the captain at the poor man who didn't know how to answer.

"Sir, we didn't know the enemy was there in the first place", said one of the man in charge of navigating the huge ship. "Their ship had camouflage. And for that reason, our radars weren't able to locate them."

"Besides, it looks like they had been waiting for us, captain." He wasn't lying. Whatever the big monitor in front of them was showing confirmed his hypothesis.

There were no more enemies than those who stood before their eyes. And that was probably more than enough. Who wouldn't be intimidated by a gigantic space galleon, in which just one of its cannons was as big as the ship they sailed with across the universe?

"A red… vessel… And that black flag with three golden stars… This has to be a joke… ", muttered the captain, the color leaving his face.

"Sir, why do you have that look on your face? Why don't you give us any orders?"

"You're crazy, they'll destroy us right here and we'll be nothing more than cosmic trash!" Was this the same man they had been following all these years?

"Calm down, captain", one of the men said. "You'll find a way to defeat them."

"Are you an idiot or what!? Don't you recognize them!? They're mercenaries and planet looters since more than ten years… It was believed that they had been exterminated by the Harusame five years ago, but nothing was ever confirmed. So now they're nothing more than a ghost many talk about and that no one has ever seen again for a long time… I'm talking about the Hokusei, about the crew that's been able to gather the most powerful races from the universe to have fun around the galaxy!"

"It seems there's still people who know about us, Tentei-san." That unknown voice managed to startle every person that was still engrossed watching that vermillion ship. "All we want is your merchandise. So, if you don't put up a fight, we won't wipe you all off from this world." His voice classified him immediately as a man. But after that, there was nothing else that allowed them to identify him in the future.

The red oni mask greeted them and kept his face entirely hidden from view, matching surprisingly well with that cone-shaped straw hat. And the next thing that stopped them from keeping a clear image from the assailant was his black cape and boots the same color.

"When did you get in here and through where!?"

"You shouldn't let your guard down in front of your enemy", the man let them know. "And where did I entered through? It's pretty clear, from up there." Just when all of them raised their gazes towards the ceiling of their ship, did they realize there was a nice hole in it.

"That's reinforced steel…You couldn't have broken it that easily!"

"Hand over the merchandise", he repeated. He wouldn't beat around the bush.

"We refuse!" The courage had returned to their captain in the most crucial time. And the rest of his subordinates wouldn't just let his decision go to waste.

"You can't say I didn't try to negotiate with you all."

The weapons were fired. The atmosphere filled with gunpowder and bullet casings while the rest of the crew arrived at the machine room, ready to take the intruder's life. But would it be so easy to do that? That question arose the moment in which they realized that the man commanding them had fallen loudly to the floor, while the intruder they had relentlessly shot at stood there, with their captain's head in the palm of his hand.

"Too easy." Nobody was shooting anymore, they were all completely stunned and being quickly consumed by fear. "If you have such a weak captain, one can't expect the subordinates to even put up a fight." He let his temporary trophy fall to the floor and turned his attention towards those who were trying to escape. "At least try to fight for your lives."

He couldn't see the expression on his face at that moment, but he knew perfectly that the look he was sending them only showed how thirsty he felt for coloring the whole place with their blood.

And that mundane whim soon became a reality.

"Is it really necessary that you turn all your battles into bloodbaths, Raiko?"

"They didn't want to negotiate, Moka." He didn't even need to turn around to look, since he knew perfectly who had just arrived to lecture him.

"The captain's going to reprimand you for what you've done." Her clothes weren't much different from the young man's, except for the mask, which was a dark blue.

"I'm sorry to burst your bubble but you're not important enough for him to listen to your words." There was no point in standing still, so he started walking, followed closely by the girl.

"At least it's not my species that it's in danger of extinction", she replied.

"I couldn't care less." For the doors that required a password to open, there was always brute force to take care of them.

"You could use your head once in a while to get out of trouble."

"Stop wasting time and secure the merchandise", he ordered passively.

"You're not my captain!"

"Shut up and use your mouth to make them cooperate. Or do you prefer my methods?" She didn't have much of a choice and agreed to his request.

"I'm doing this for our captain, not for you." They had arrived to where the merchandise was hidden. However, it wasn't just a pile of boxes with unknown content, but more like a bunch of Amanto who were confined to cages which barely left them space to move. "You can feel at ease, now, you won't be sold as slaves to some planet anymore."

"Who are you…!?"

"What is gonna happen to all of us?" The raising of a wave of murmuring was inevitable. Especially for how suspicious they both looked.

"What you heard. Simple as that", Raiko spoke up. "The only thing we need you to do is to carry out a simple task and you can be back in your beloved planet."

"You're no different from the men who caught us", one of the Amanto complained.

"With your ability, you should know better than anyone what'll happen if you don't listen to our words." He was close to those cages now, holding one of the bars only to crush it with a single grasp. "I'm sorry to say this but my captain needs your services and has told me to resort to any method to make you obey his orders… Do you want us to do this the hard way?"


	4. To be free

Another day that had been nothing but fruitless. Another day in which the only thing they'd managed to find was a bunch of trouble makers who did nothing more than commit small crimes inside of Yoshiwara.

So then, under the merciless sun, now they didn't know where else to look for clues, they decided to remain calmly inside the apothecary's store, hanging the "closed" sign so nobody came to bother them.

"I guess all we have left is to go to other districts", said the black-haired woman with resignation. "It's been already two weeks since you got here and we still have no clues about anything."

"You really think we're going to find something?"

"I honestly don't know", she sighed, taking a seat behind the counter. "The blotches that almost every one of you had are almost gone. Strangely, they're starting to get better and I don't know why. And that's worrying as well."

"The only thing I'm happy about is that you two haven't tried to kill each other again", Abuto added with some happiness.

"Tell me you haven't also wished to send him to a better world", she pointed out with humor.

"And to think that all of this happened because we visited that place…" He sighed, long and deeply.

The planet greeting them could be the envy of many others. There was enough flora and vegetation to believe one could have arrived in a tropical jungle in some exotic land. Also, in the middle of all that nature was a metropolitan city, where one could find from lost oasis too far away sand dunes. It was, no doubt, a world of contrasts, where the government was that of an absolute monarchy.

But all those space travelers cared about was to finish the deal that took them to such a remote place. They had merchandise to deliver, and a lot of cash to collect. And that's how the meeting took place close to the majestic castle, with the captains from both sides taking care of the transaction.

"I find it strange that you would take care of handling such a trivial matter like slave trade yourselves, Kamui-dono", mentioned the uniformed man, with that look so typical of lizards. Even his scaly skin attracted attention, together with a tongue that kept coming in and out of his mouth.

"It was a direct favor from the Admiral, Hideo-dono", spoke Abuto to whom undoubtedly was someone of a high rank in that place.

"We're sorry you had to come to this place, knowing how sensitive you are to the heat." The home to those cold blooded creatures was an ecosystem where the sun shone so bright that it almost suffocated them.

"We're not as frail as you think we are", added Kamui. Both Yato could resist that weather without much trouble thanks to their umbrellas.

"And since you've traveled from so far, wouldn't you like to stay a little more and enjoy the banquet we're having tonight? Our food is well known around the universe."

"Mmm… That doesn't sound like a bad idea after all, right Abuto?"

"Ah! Don't tell me you're really thinking about it?"

"You said yourself that we needed supplies or something like that." He only remembered the advice from his vice-captain when it was most convenient for him.

"Tsk…" No matter what he said, that guy wouldn't listen to him. So, he had no choice but to give up.

"Hey, don't resist and come with us." Apparently, a few soldiers had found some of the merchandise outside of their cells.

"I told you we aren't part of the sale", replied the girl, trying to free herself of his grip.

"I'm sorry to tell you but those pieces are not for sale", intervened Abuto for that pair that had already been taken to Hideo's presence. "These are part of our subordinates. To be exact, they are simply cooks.

"Most of the slaves we get are always instructed in some activity", said the other man. "I could give you a special bonus for those two… Although… I think I'd choose the brunette. The other one has a look that I don't like."

"She's always with that mean look on her face, and she'll surely give you more problems than anything else." Oshin ignored his comments, and simply stared at the huge lizard with disdain.

"No one can deny the Harusame is a kind organization." The lizard made a sign to take the unfortunate chosen woman away and to free the one he wasn't convinced to have under his service.

"Why did you do that?", the black-haired woman asked Abuto. They were both looking straight ahead, noticing that his captain had already left them behind.

"Idiot, you want us to have trouble with the Harusame?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I have the slight feeling that if we left you here, you'd cause trouble. And that'd make the relationship with the Tokague Clan, one of the most loyal partners of the Harusame, start to fall apart."

"I think you're overrating me, Abuto", she mentioned calmly.

"The look you have on your face is not one of a person who's afraid of simple slave traders, but that of someone who could send them to hell with her own hands if she feels like it."

Soon the people around her disappeared and the surveillance they had on them was almost gone. It's not like those Yato cared if one of their many servants disappeared suddenly; it was as easy as replacing them.

" _And with this sun, this looks like the worst place these men could have ever stepped on."_  It wasn't curiosity what was making her walk the surroundings of the castle, but more like restlessness.  _"If they find me I'll be in big trouble. So maybe I could even…"_

The plan was simple and consisted basically in finding a cape, putting it on and pretend to be a member of the 7th division of the Harusame. Only that way she wouldn't raise suspicions if she happened to walk around.

" _I wonder where they've been taken. This place is unnecessarily big..."_.

"Oh, so you must be one of the members of the fearsome division of the Harusame." Great, just what she needed, somebody crossing her path. "My lord has asked me to show you the hospitality of our kingdom."

"That's not necessary. I'm just stretching my legs." Between her aviator hat and the big cape covering her body, it was easy to deduce she was part of the Yato.

"Come on, I'm sure you'd want some shadow and nice food." He was inviting her to follow him with much insistence.

"Alright." The best was to agree or he would suspect.

And like that lizard said, the area where she'd been taken was surprisingly cool, with an amazing view from a paradisiacal oasis and lots of delicacies on the only table there was in the place.

"Enjoy the food and the company", he said before leaving.

"What did he mean by 'company'?" She grabbed some kind of fruit and took a bite. "Ah?" The second part of the show had arrived. Three beautiful young girls suddenly appeared, wearing revealing outfits and hiding half of their faces with a veil.

"We're at your service, my lord." What left her totally speechless wasn't the welcome those girls gave her or that they mistook her for a boy, but that without telling them they started serving her food, fanning her and even trying to flirt with her.

"You really don't need to do any of this. I can take care of it." The girls looked at each other, confused. Was it the first time a man didn't want their services? "No offense, but it isn't nice to see slaves doing this kind of thing." Even though they could move freely, there were still shackles around their ankles, stopping them from being free.

"But if we don't do our job, Hideo-sama will cut our heads off", mentioned one of them, full of terror.

"So please."

"Let us do our jobs."

" _They're so accustomed to this life that, no matter what I tell them, they won't listen… This is what people turn into when their independence gets stolen and when they shatter even their smallest hope to be free? My parents could have... turned into something like this?"_

She could do nothing but confine herself to look and keep resounding silence. She knew that he should not get into the affairs of that squadron because that would reduce her stay within the crew. So, I had no choice but to pretend that what was happening there was something of the most every day and that no one cared what happened to those evicted. But it had always been that way, didn't it?

"Have you grown tired of us?" They asked the three of them in unison as soon as they saw her with intentions of leaving the room.

"No, you have actually done an excellent job" She said without turning to see them. I just want to get back to the ship.

"Come back and visit us soon".

"By the way, may I ask something?

She hated that temperamental and irrational part that she possessed, but it could not be contained when a subject as delicate as the one he had in her hands, tormented it. She would think of the consequences of his actions later, for now she was going with enormous caution to the site that these girls indicated. Yes, she had managed to get to what was apparently a simple warehouse, but that hid something somewhat more macabre.

There were not only the slaves who had travelled on the nave of the seventh squadron, but others who had personally fallen into the hands of those lizards.

" _There are many more than I had imagined."_  She walked with caution between the cells, feeling the hateful and fearful gazes of every prisoner. She couldn't blame them for believing she was their enemy. "They don't even realize they're in such conditions." She'd stopped in front of a specific cell. One that contained a couple of people burning with fever.

"What is it you want now!? Hasn't it been enough with locking us here and treating us worse than scum!?", screamed furiously the one who looked like the mother of the two sick boys.

"Give them this and they'll feel better soon." In the palm of her hand lied a small package made of paper, folded like a tiny envelope. "I know you'll doubt my word, but this is the only thing I can do for you. At least for now."

"You probably want to kill us."

"I'm just an apothecary, ma'am. My job consists in preparing medication to alleviate people's sickness. And those two will die if their fever doesn't go down."

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because sadly it's the only option you've got now." She bent down and left the small package inside the cell.

"I don't remember having a member like you in my squad." She stood up, looking from the corner of her eyes at someone she wasn't expecting to find there. Had he seen her and followed her to see what she was up to?

"I never said I was. The people from this castle just supposed I was." Logic wouldn't work on him. But she wanted at least to extend the time her head remained on her neck as long as she could. "And you're forgetting that my job is to prepare medicine." She directed her steps towards him.

"I don't like killing women, they can give birth to strong kids", he said with that charming smile that didn't fool her at all. "But if you cause a scandal here, I'll have no choice but to finish you off right here."

"I've done nothing more than give them something for the fever and talk to the servants from the palace, I can't see why you should kill me", she pointed out, staring at him. "In fact, it was a surprise to find you here, captain."

"And I think we're not the only ones that felt like taking a walk." He wasn't kidding. Because below the doorstep they could see a few soldiers with no intentions of welcoming them.

"Their skin is of a totally different color."

"I remember that boring old man mentioned something about a faction of the country being unhappy with the new king and because of that they were always immersed in civil wars", he mentioned without giving it much importance. "It looks like they've snuck in and want to make some noise."

"And you look very excited about it." That disturbing look he had said it all. "I'll move out of the way before you confuse me with one of them and send me to the other world too soon."

"I see you have a very unique sense of humor." If that was a compliment, she didn't want it. "As long as you stay out of my way you won't have to worry about your life."

"That's what I'm doing." She had already moved far away enough.  _"I'm pretty sure this will end much faster than I thought."_

Yes, as was expected of someone of his strength and combat abilities, what had started as a fun event turned into one of utter boredom. Because although those Amanto were quick, and had sharp claws and a scaly, almost impenetrable skin, little or nothing could they do against a Yato's strength.

However, there was one of them who managed to slip away from the redhead's hands, and had opted to attack a much vulnerable prey.

"Ungh…" The blow of her body against the cell behind her was just a preamble of what was about to come. Now her neck wasn't more than an iron bar that animal was holding onto. "Y-you damn… underdeveloped... lizard… S-someday…that bad habit of taking out your tongue all the time, will kill you…", she said with difficulty, because even her breath was running out. But her words weren't what was important.

"What… is… this!?" He hadn't managed to see it for himself, because he was too engrossed in watching his victim's face. And even if that needle prick didn't hurt in the slightest, he quickly understood something wasn't right.

"Your skin is too thick for a simple needle or a sword to go through it, but thanks to the bad habit you have of examining your surroundings with your tongue, you're momentarily vulnerable to my insignificant tricks." She was freed then not because he wanted it, but because his entire body wasn't responding anymore and was completely paralyzed.

"Who the hell are you…!?", the lizard exclaimed from where he laid on the floor. He was beginning to have trouble breathing.

"…A simple and ordinary apothecary who loves melon bread and tea time…", she replied nonchalantly, crossing her arms and giving him a small smile.

"Wasn't it easier to kill him?" What was the case of him asking that when he'd just managed to end that Amanto's suffering?

"The poison in that needle was lethal, at least for his species… He was going to die inevitably even without your help, captain."

"I'm starting to think you're not just a simple apothecary and that the fact that you've come to my crew isn't just a mere coincidence." He had grabbed that small metallic syringe with his right hand, watching it with some interest. "What kind of poison have you used? Aren't you supposed to save patients instead of killing them?" That innocent look that always accompanied him sharpened, like a double-edged knife. "Are you possibly planning on murdering me or something?"

"Something like that has never crossed my mind", she assured, with no signs of a lie. "Like I mentioned before, I'm a humble and ordinary apothecary who's under the orders of the 7th division of the Harusame in this moment."

"…It seems Abuto's decision wasn't a bad one after all…", he blurted out, putting his arms on the back of his neck. "He's found someone interesting… A suicidal girl who seems to have no fear of death…"

That memory had been erased, simply because it hadn't had any reason to come to light. Not until he thought it over and realized that those cold-blooded creatures had been once their allies as well as their biggest buyers.

"I'd forgotten that we've did business with those people before", commented Abuto about the sudden turn of events.

"Well they didn't have reasons to go after all of you." It didn't take her too long to submerge the tip of a bunch of small needles into a yellow viscous mixture.

"Sometimes I think you're using the facade of an apothecary to hide your real profession."

"…My father was an apothecary and my mother was a doctor. They were both there to help people", she described without taking her attention off of her work. "I don't intend to follow their steps, because I know I'll never get to be half as good as they. Is for that reason that I use this knowledge for my own benefit… I'm an egoistic person who saves people selectively."

"That mentality also caused you trouble with him."

"Better tell me what part of ourselves hasn't caused trouble between us", she mentioned mockingly. "Even I'm surprised how tolerant we've been with each other."

"You want me to tell you the reason why you haven't tried to kill him yet?" he asked with a melodious tone of voice.

"…Because he has a cute sister who's still waiting for his brother to come home…", she replied with a strange serious tone.

"Who taught you to be so dishonest?", he mocked.

"The good for nothing old man who took care of raising me after my parents died."

The only thing he could see in front of him were the remains of what could once be considered a magnificent space ship. So, the conclusion was quickly evident to him, without having to give it much thought. Which meant that having agreed to that last job was a complete waste of time.

"Didn't you see something like this in your predictions?", the man asked the quiet Amanto who opted for a long silence, after witnessing was in front of them; even the ship pilots remained that way.

"They're still alive", he replied. "The stars and the flow of things have changed suddenly. Their future has started to write itself once again, towards a direction different than ours." In the palm of his hand were four small marbles, so beautiful as they were unique; one could even see the universe itself in them.

"What do you mean by that?", spoke up Umibouzu again.

"…It looks like we won't have the same possibilities within our reach…"

"Can't you just say that we're just going to die in this absurd trip?", he lashed out. "No offense, but I'm not planning on that premise to come true. I still have many things I have to do before leaving to Nirvana."

"Umibouzu-sama, I'd like to tell you a few things before our paths must be brusquely separated."

"I'm listening." He had taken his umbrella out while he stared at the automatic door that lead to the control room.

"This ship will start to descend abruptly in ten minutes… That's the time you'll have to resist the attack of our adversaries."

"That's more than enough time for someone like me."

"You're strong and skilled, but the enemy approaching possess the attributes of a beast who's survived countless battles. Of a warrior whose heart has been poisoned and that has forgotten who he was before."

"That only means I won't get bored." He was impatient for those doors to open and the real action to begin.

"Don't let their weak appearance fool you. Neither underestimate them for not belonging to the same species as you", he said, serious and meticulously. "Because if you die here, who's going to take care of covering those two's backs?"

"Hey, what the hell do you mean by that!?" He turned to the Amanto with complete astonishment.

"…That it's essential that you survive here to be able to protect your family…" He was just about to talk back, to question the Amanto about what he said. However, what he had been wishing for until that moment had just come true.

To his eyes they were nothing but simple warriors wielding weakly a sword, trying uselessly to graze him. In his view, adversaries that weak wouldn't make him back down even an inch. And if that was the only thing the enemy could do, then he would continue moving forward and would end with whoever was directing these men.

The hallways turned a warm and frightening crimson. All that came in direct contact with him vanished and turned into a simple, fuzzy memory.

"Where the hell is your leader hiding!?", he cried out after having ended up in the machine room as the last place to look for his enemy.

"…I've never moved from your side even for a moment… I became your shadow the instant you began your hunt, Umibouzu."

He stepped back immediately, before the sudden shivers he felt as soon as he heard that passive, sweet voice that reached his hears. And it was then when he found the person he had been looking for this whole time.

"Who… are you…?"

Her eyes were so clear and light blue, but at the same time so cold and calm as the glacial ice. Her skin was so white that the only thing that stood out were her small, pink lips. And the short and straight hair adorning her was so white it could be ripped even by a soft puff of wind.

A short, long sleeved white kimono, a dark blue obi that formed the wings of a butterfly and wooden footwear formed her attire. Although perhaps what stood out the most from what she was wearing was her double-edged word.

"What's a samurai do-…?"

He didn't even have the chance to finish his question. His opponent had drawn her weapon in the blink of an eye, and in that time, had charged at him. If it weren't for his good reflexes, he would've said goodbye to one of his arms.

"Tsk… Damn you… You didn't even let me finish…" To him it wasn't a problem to resist the attacks using his umbrella as a block. But he was starting to have some trouble with how fast she seemed to be. "I think I'll teach you some manners."

"I have excellent manners. I don't need corrective actions from you." The Yato started to realize that he couldn't take her lightly. She couldn't match him in strength, but she was managing to keep him with his guard up always. "There's a proverb that says… 'When you hear someone speak, listen to them carefully… Let them speak freely and with no interruptions…'"

"I'll admit you fight well, though you say some strange things. Are you obsessed with samurai phrases or something like that?"

Every blow she delivered was instantly blocked by him. But even that couldn't assure him he could counterattack; because every time he had the chance, she just evaded every one of his moves and returned the attack.

If he thought he'd be fighting an amateur, he was very wrong. The person he was dealing with deserved to be called a true samurai.

"I wasn't expecting to meet one of you again", said Umibouzu after wiping a trace of blood off his cheek. "Even when you're no longer necessary in this age, you're still roaring, causing trouble and making the world spin to your own rhythm… Pushing your way through with your sword." Was she smiling? Yes, he was completely aware that the human in front of him stank of death just like him. That those hands had spilled so much blood that she couldn't be considered a hero anymore, but a mere patriotic mercenary.

"…Yato and Samurai… We both belong to the battlefield… It's just there where our true nature is revealed… So, let's dance, let's play this dark waltz until one of us decides to stop the music…"


	5. Dilemma

She wasn't even remotely close to where the remains of that ship and the fallen crew members were and it was enough for the stench to make her stomach turn and make her stop walking. She just watched in awe how that group of men were already that far away from her, examining the surroundings as if they couldn't smell anything; were they some kind of monsters or were they just already accustomed to battlefields littered with rotting corpses?

"Are you gonna stay there, watching?" Abuto was the first one to direct his words to the girl left behind. "Remember it was your idea to come here."

"Yes, well, I wasn't expecting it to smell this bad." She inhaled clean air before covering her nose with a handkerchief she took out of her pocket. And against her own wishes she had already caught up with the rest of the Yato. "You really made a mess." Destruction was the only thing she could see wherever she looked. And those lizards hadn't had better luck.

"Do you really think we'll find something of use if we search in this pile of bodies?", asked her Kamui, who was finally free of his bindings and was walking around the surroundings.

"I sincerely don't know, but we're running out of options", she replied. "Although considering you destroyed this place, it'll be even more complicated…" The woman sighed languidly. She had to have patience with this type of men. "Let's check the control room", she suggested and started walking more deeply into that disgusting place. "There might be records that could interest us. Like video calls or stuff like that."

The control room was miraculously not as damaged as the rest of the ship and that seemed to make Oshin happy, as well as the two who had decided to join her. Perhaps if they had some luck they could get some clue about their enemies.

"The system still turns on and doesn't seem to have suffered much damage", one of the Yato commented as soon as he started typing quickly on the big control panel.

"The monitor has a big crack but it could still work", said the other.

"Something of interest?", she asked quickly, without taking her eyes off the cracked screen.

"There's information about the last places they were before arriving to Earth." He showed them the coordinates and there wasn't anything suspicious at first sight.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, we have a video call that was recorded… Which sounds very weird to me."

"Let's see what it's about."

"...For a long time, we have remained forgotten by the same story, by all those infamous who dared to trample on us and condemn us to an absent existence of sun, life... For all who believed that it had been our end, we have a news: we have returned and this time it will be all of you who are forced to live in the dark exile...". There was no background image, no face or shape that could serve as reference to start investigating anything about a possible culprit. The only thing they had in their hands was a strange message that seemed to be sending a threat to everything and everyone.

Did that mean then there was something else beyond their knowledge that wanted to crush everything and had cleverly decided to start with whoever could oppose their plans the most?

"That… was really… disconcerting." In Oshin's opinion, that message could've been left so they could hear it and know at least that there was someone who wanted to make them disappear.

"I tried looking for more files, but this is the only one I found", replied the one in charge of searching the ship's operating system.

"What are we going to do? Do we tell the captain about this?"

"Do you think an idiot like him would be interested in a message like this?", she expressed. "The only thing he wants to hear from our mouths is the name and location of the one who's trying to kill him."

"Did you find something useful?" Speaking of the devil there he was, fixing his gaze on her; he was eager, and the worst of it was that he wanted some significant answers.

"By what we managed to understand… Either it's a joker leaving threatening messages to kill time, or there's someone out there with a lot of inner hatred because of how bad he's been treated, and wishes to kill everyone, starting for the ones that can give him more trouble: the Yato…", she affirmed, based on the information she had. "And if that's the case, they not only have enough technology, but also the knowledge that's needed to do it. Although…"

"If they wanted to kill us they would've done it by now", finished Kamui with a calm look and a soft smile. "So, what are they looking for?"

"To torture you all until you beg for mercy?", she replied jokingly.

"You seem pretty happy with that conclusion." A few steps were enough to get to the quiet girl's location. Even his gaze turned to her, from the corner of his eye.

"Don't talk nonsense." She massaged her forehead, trying to find some inner calm. "I want to find the one who did all this as much as you do… Stop putting words in my mouth."

"Somebody woke up in a really bad mood today~ Is it that time of the month?" Nothing like him telling her that bunch of things with humor and fake innocence while she clicked her tongue in anger.

"…Dumbass…" And she was going to continue with the long list of insults for Kamui, but somebody seemed to disagree with it and was brave enough to get between the two of them.

"What is it, Abuto?" It wasn't like he enjoyed the verbal fights with the black haired woman but neither was he someone who liked to be interrupted.

"Your little existential conflicts will have to wait for later, we have some unwanted visitors right now." Yes, he really was smiling. And that meant things were about to get busy, which meant real fun for those beasts thirsty for a new battlefield.

They moved towards the only exit before them, and they soon found themselves in front of what would quickly turn into a blood-stained scene. One which the Yato were experts to create, or that was what they thought until the moment it all took an unexpected turn.

The strongest creatures in the universe were starting to have trouble in getting rid of what at first sight were nothing more than simple armed Amanto, and whose species wasn't characterized by their strength or ability in combat. If that was the case, why did they move so well, why did they possess enough power to land such a blow to those Yato?

What was really going on?

"Are they… matching the Yato's strength? Really…?" Oshin's sight wasn't lying to her. Those opponents seemed to be weak at the beginning, but they were now putting up a fight against those men.

"If you don't want to get hurt, you better move aside and not get in the way." It wasn't worry what was coming out of the redhead's lips, but a passive threat that she should stay away from his business.

"Though there's something you can do while you prefer keeping your fangs blunt", pointed out Abuto with sarcasm without taking his attention from their enemies. They could be stronger, but to someone who held the position of second-in-command it wasn't too hard to send such insistent enemies to the other world.

"…You don't have to tell me, muttonheads".

The problem actually wasn't about abandoning the battlefield without being sensed, but about being able to find the root of all of those problems; she had to find the place where those undesirable visitors had arrived and try to find something that could be of some help to give her answers to some of her simpler questions.

She had nothing more than footprints on the wet ground as her only clue, and the certainty that as soon as she found the enemy's base, only then would start the true challenge to keep a low profile and survive.

" _I'm far enough from where those Amanto surrounded us and nonetheless I still haven't arrived to where there's supposed to be their base…I"_ She was running as fast and as constant as her anatomy could allow her. And she also didn't stop looking around searching for anything.

And maybe her efforts would be quickly rewarded. Or maybe she was wrong in believing she had found her enemies before they'd spotted her.

"Boss, look what just showed up all of a sudden." She had been spotted before even managing to finish that footprints trail, and even worse, in just the blink of an eye she was completely surrounded.

"She probably took off running as soon as she say her town being attacked", said another one showing the white of his sharp fangs. Yes, all of those present that prevented her from escaping were humanoid beasts.

"What do we do with her, boss? Do we sell her as merchandise or you'll let us kill her and hear as she cries in despair?" Another one was eager to see the blood flow.

" _I knew there was a village nearby, but…"_  Her gaze was calm, but she was far from unperturbed. Not when her hands had curled unintentionally into tight fists. The creatures she despised the most were standing there in front of her, implying she'd soon turn into some kind of slave or toy.  _"Does this mean they're the ones behind the attack? Or was it just a coincidence? I…"_

"You shouldn't have such bad manners in front of a lady." It wasn't like she hadn't paid attention to who was undoubtedly in charge, but it was more like it was impossible for her to know the appearance of that man due to the kabuki mask covering his face; the same one that represented a disgusting Tengu.

" _He doesn't look the same as the others… However, he seems to be someone important."_

A man that surpassed easily the two meters high looked terrifyingly good in that long, black leather coat and those worn out jeans. And thanks to his good anatomy, he had no problem in walking around shirtless, showing how well-worked his abdomen was.

Besides his short blue hair, there was something else that caught easily everyone's attention. It was the huge, primitive mace he carried on his back, like a loyal battle companion.

"What do you suggest we do then, Yuusha-sama?"

"What else would I need a face like this for?" Without any consideration, he had walked towards her and took her face in his hand with an unnecessary force. He wanted to raise her gaze to his; that's how that man liked his conversations: face to face.

"Well, she's certainly above the average. She'll surely be of use to your cause, Yuusha-sama", praised one of his men.

"You're lucky you haven't died, because now you'll get to have a better future. Full of luxury and wealth", the blue-haired man said. "A woman like you can be sold at a good price. "

" _Who the hell is this man? He's pretty strong."_  Had he held her a little bit longer, she was sure she would have more to worry about than just some simple bruises.

"Tie her up and see that she gets safe and sound to Yoshiwara", he announced to his men, who in the blink of an eye managed to immobilize the curious girl.

" _Did he say Yoshiwara!?"_  The girl couldn't believe her ears, to the point where she couldn't even stop looking at the man who had sealed her future.  _"No one has ruled the red-light district since that old man died. Not even after the collapse of the Harusame… Has enough time passed for a new order to appear or was this on their own initiative? But what is going on here?"_

How many hours have they been looking for him? Enough so that the evening itself was drawing on the horizon, tinting all the sky with its warm orange and yellow tones. Although having wasted so many hours of their life in locating him was not what he was causing strong murderous desires in their person, but rather that their shameless boss was more than tasty in life, spending all the money they had in one of those many places that provided happiness to the unfortunate men who were unable to obtain a conquest.

"Sakata-san, why don't you ask for something else to accompany the food?" On worlds like these all that was needed was to have a good lining of bills and you'd have the best girls making you cuddly and asking you to spend more than you wear.

"Yes, yes, we are very thirsty. And our palate will only accept the best drink we have."

"Tonight's special, girls. So, ask for everything you want. Today Gin-chan pays!", someone with so much alcohol in their veins and surrounded by females was not the best to keep their finances on good terms. "And how about we take advantage and play? You know, the doctor and the nurse... Or the policeman and the thief... I wouldn't mind persecuting you all over the place."

"Sakamoto-san!", a piercing and provocative squeal that only sought to make even bigger the smile of perverted idiot who possessed Gintoki.

"...Gin-san...Where did you get the money to buy all this? Have you used the advance that Oshin-san has given us for your order? And above all things, what does that mean and that?! Are you a depraved fetish or what?!" The index finger of the poor samurai pointed from the head to the feet of the degenerate man. Is that how it was supposed to end only in boxer and with that strange baby cap around his head? How is Shinpachi supposed to give the face of society with an adult like that of chief and example of life?

"All men are nothing more than society's slag... They are worse than cockroaches after you have stepped on them and creak under your feet... Men like him should be extinguished by a great meteorite". Kagura looked with utter disgust at the scene in front of her.

"Kagura-chan, we'd better get out of here and from now on we'll handle the Yorozuya.

"And let's all that Gin-chan die after he came out of the urination and slipped with his own stupidity", sentenced the Yato after having thrown a spit to the old samurai.

"Ey, ey. Wait, it is not for so much!" He called them with a serious look and a drunkenness that seemingly had faded away of his voice stamp. "Don't think that I have spent all the money and that I have been looking for this sword by all sides. You know that Gin-san is not just as irresponsible as to do something like that."

"Ah, really? The glasses no longer believed in his words. Not when I continued to see that the man continued to ask for drinks and more food.

"Show us", seconded the red-haired.

"Are you, Sakata Gintoki?". Shinpachi and Kagura turned towards the one who had entered so scandalous place, being unable to not feel curiosity of why a woman as she might be looking for a good for nothing like him.

"For you I'm the King of Shamans himself." Where had he gotten that suit and that ridiculous straight hair? That was a mystery; however, he was already in front of her, holding her hand to give her a kiss.

"There's no need to be so attentive, Sakata-san", expressed the woman with a kind tone and those beautiful amethyst eyes. "I'm just looking for you to ask for your services."

The woman possessed wavy brown hair that hung down to her mid-back, wide hips, big b*** and long legs. She represented to a large extent the kind of woman many men would kill for. And that samurai belonged clearly to the group of men who'd want to have such a beautiful toy to have fun with during the cold and lonely nights of Edo.

"Whichever is your petition, we'll carry it out." Shinpachi and Kagura simply sighed in resignation and hopelessness; the adult leading them through the path of life was rotten to the core. "My loyal servants will do everything to bring the smile back to that beautiful face of yours." Discretion wasn't a quality of that man, and he was now pretty focused on the "great personality" of the brunette. To hell with him wearing a white kimono. "I'm all breasts"

"Gin-san, stop, you're bleeding and getting the floor all dirty", begged the black-haired boy. "Seriously, you're disappointing us more than you've ever had before."

"Oh, look Shinpachi! Isn't that what we're looking for?", exclaimed Kagura while her gaze focused on the woman's waist. How could she walk around so calm while she carried that with her without attracting people's attention?

"But if it's…!" Their eyes couldn't be fooling them. What that girl was carrying wasn't just a sword, but it was one of a black and crimson tone. "Gin-san, that's the sword we've been looking for!"

"You're talking about this old rusty sword?", she questioned the three of them. "I bought it in an antique store last week because I thought it was curious." She observed those three who were examining the weapon carefully, and had an idea. "Unfortunately, I have no money to pay for your services, though I could give you this sword in return. What do you say?"

It was a good deal, wasn't it? If they got the sword they could still claim the rest of the pay Oshin had promised.

"Consider it done." To Sakata trades like these were good trades. At least for now he could stop pretending to be looking for that sword. "And what are we supposed to do?"

"…I'd like you to rescue my little sister… She's been kidnapped and taken to Yoshiwara to be sold as a prostitute…", she expressed with a sad look, while looking like she'd start crying any minute. "I wasn't at home when it all happened. However, she wasn't the only victim… A few other girls were taken by force."

"Hey, but that hasn't happened in a while. Not since Yoshiwara was freed", muttered Shinpachi, looking deep in thought. This kind of things couldn't be happening again.

"…The rumors say…there is a new King of the Night…", she pointed out with a serious look.

Delicacy seemed to be meaningless to men like them. From their perspective, the most practical way was to knock down the metallic door with a nice kick and carry on walking like they owned the whole place and had all the rights to inspect it.

However, what was the point of having the privilege to freely investigate when they couldn't find anything useful? Because after having arrived at the control room and the rest of the facilities, they found nothing more than a disturbing quietness; or that's what they thought until somebody arrived with that pair of wooden boxes.

"Where did you find that?" Abuto looked at his subordinate and the man simply told him there was a small storehouse they had overlooked. "What do we have here…" He removed the wooden lid and focused on its content. At first glance, there were nothing more than a bunch of plastic bags that contained some pink powder.

"They could be just drug traffickers", one of them noted. "It's pretty common these days. Though the amount here isn't enough for it to be a good business."

"I'd say we examine this, but our expert in poison and drugs isn't here now", declared the brunet with a half-smile. "I told her she was supposed to come investigate…So where the hell is she?"

"I don't think we should worry about her, Abuto. After all, she can take care of herself and probably disappeared for a good reason", intervened Kamui without taking his attention off what the brunet was holding in his hands. "We better think about why those Amanto had enough strength to face a Yato."

"What the hell is happening with everybody now, huh?" The brunet probably wasn't the only one asking himself such a thing.

She knew that place perfectly, like the back of her hand. Not only had she been working there for the last few months, but also because it was one of the favorite places in which she could always find the good for nothing man who took care of raising her. But the irony of all that was that she wasn't walking through that red-light district showing off her freedom anymore, but rather she was being carried inside a dusty, smelly wagon now, like a piece of meat who shared the same destiny with all those scared and gagged women.

" _Is it possible there is someone stupid and brave enough to want to claim a place like this? What is that man thinking, taking over this district?"_  Just as the other women, she found herself with her wrists tied together by a thick rope. She had even been gagged as the rest of them so she couldn't cause trouble.  _"He called himself Yuusha, right? Who is he? Is he going to be the next to call himself the King of the Night?"_

Her thoughts were cut abruptly when the wagon came to a stop. They had arrived at their final destination and the men guarding them made them get off quickly, signaling them where they were supposed to go; and at the same time, the weapons they carried served to intimidate them into not trying to escape.

"Move, and stop wasting time!", yelled the one commanding the rest of the guards.

" _Maybe in this place I can get some useful information… Or at least that's what I want to think"_ She simply walked faster, completely ignoring the vulgarities the soldiers yelled at them; she wasn't in a position of power to be able to do something about it, and for the moment she'd rather give up her own wellbeing to satisfy her doubts.

One hallway after the other. The path they were following was as much maze-like and as it was tiring. Nonetheless, it was the best way to create a feeling of hopelessness and frustration in the prisoners; they had to break what was left of their will to do what they wanted with the /them.

But every path has and end. The huge door in front of them dictated how they'd live from now on.

"Go inside, once and for all, and settle wherever you wish", spoke the boss after opening the door and letting the women in. "Hekiru-sama will come soon to determine which of you will be of use." That was his message before he locked them inside.

The sound of the door closing ended up breaking whatever sanity was left in the girls accompanying her, and the only thing they could do in those circumstances was to plead for their lives while they hit the doors, in a futile attempt to be rescued. However, the most alarming of it all wasn't the widespread panic they were living, but the unpleasant calm of those girls who had been taken there before them.

Not only were they perfectly settled in, but they also looked at them with surprise, like they couldn't believe the newcomers could be so affected by something that was clearly a great benefit to them.

" _Were they brainwashed or something? Who would be happy to be a piece of meat?"_  The place surrounding her wasn't more than a big woman's bedroom, where there were enough beds and everything needed for those women to be happy. Yes, it was a nice golden cage, and they seemed to be enjoying it too much.

"It's hard to get used to this environment, but once you do you'll realize how wonderful it is to work under Hikeru-sama's orders", said the girl who without a doubt was the one who'd been there the longest.

"How can you say that!? You're insane! They just want us to use us and sell us to the highest bidder!"

"Help, help, somebody get us out of here!" The chaos started once again, induced by the fear and pessimism.

"It seems you've already understood", one of the submissive women congratulated Oshin. "You'll see you're gonna love Hikeru-sama."

"Sometimes you just can't fight the destiny that's been imposed on us", she commented, looking at every one of those calm courtesans. "Spending my energy in a lost cause is just a total waste." Walking wouldn't hurt her, especially if that managed to get her close to those pitiful women. "What would I get trying to escape from a place like this when I don't have what it takes to do it? I'd rather be smart and not risk my life."

"Very nice, very nice. That kind of attitude drive Hikeru-sama crazy", pointed out one of the women happily.

"Could you tell me how Hikeru-sama is? Because he seems to be a great man who's treated you magnificently well." If she had to flatter them to get information out of them, she would. "He must be a powerful man to be able to settle in Yoshiwara."

"Hikeru-sama is a man of refined tastes…", praised the girl. "He always wears tuxedos and dress shoes."

"He's an extremely cultured and sophisticated man!"

"And he's currently Yuusha-sama's right hand", concluded another one.

"And it seems he's arrived."

"He's come to check up on the new girls."

Said man had already come into the room, wearing what those women had previously described. And to Oshin's surprise, it turned out he was a fairly attractive man, barely on his early thirties; and apparently this was enough to make all those girls go crazy trying to catch his attention.

"This time there's a lot of new faces", uttered the blond man with those perfectly defined curls. "I think it'll be harder for me to select our star courtesans this time." The brown of his eyes went over every one of the girls, until they landed on Oshin. He found strange that she was so composed calm when the other girls were terrified. "What's your name?"

"Does it matter?", she lashed out. "I'll be sold like a piece of meat and cattle doesn't need names."

"I think I'll start with you." He smiled widely. She, on the other side, didn't even return not even the smallest of gestures. "You're kind of serious, has anyone told you before?" The words she could ignore, but now his hands were settled on her shoulders, so that was another issue. "The color of your eyes reminds me of the beautiful tone of blood when it leaves the beautiful body of a woman... And your skin seems pretty smooth." There he was, grabbing her chin, stroking her cheek like she belonged to him. "Your face, your skin, that eye color, I like them... But I'm a man with defined tastes. That's not enough to consider you worthy of this place... or of me."

Only a movement was more than enough to tear in half her fragile blouse and to expose part of the black-haired woman's femininity, as well as the rest of her pale abdomen.

"I think you've convinced me to make you my wife."


	6. Sable

To say she had already gotten used to the heavy tasks in the kitchen were mere exaggerations from those around her that only wanted to encourage her to do her job the best way possible; because not only did she hate to wash the whole lot of dishes there was after every meal, but also her culinary skills weren't nothing too special. She was, in simple terms, a burden to those who did the cooking, and a potential danger to those who had to eat whatever came from her hands.

"I don't understand. I followed the recipe to the letter and what came out was a strange and viscous… thing." Her attempt to make curry had resulted in an amorphous black mass, that even looked like it was asking her to put it out of its misery.

"Oshin-kun, how is it possible that you're unable to cook even something as simple as curry? If you continue like this, you'll be demoted to worse or heavier tasks."

"What could be worse than being locked in here cooking for that group of barbarians?", she asked with sarcasm.

"The laundry room", stated her companion. And all the rest seemed to have a face of fear and utter disgust.

"How did you say I have to prepare the curry?" Oshin was a smart woman and knew it was better to be a cook than to be in charge of washing the filthy clothes of those dirty men.

"You just have to follow the recipe exactly as it's written and everything will be fine."

"That's what I did and then this unknown creature was born." She pointed at the thing that really shouldn't have been moving and twisting the way it was.

"It's alive!"

"I wish I was doing what I do best, and not wasting my time in the kitchen." But easier said than done. Or at least that's what she thought until that moment in which that man came into the kitchen without taking his attention from her.

"Vice-captain!" Everyone was so polite and she was just indifferent to his presence.

"It seems to be your lucky day, girl", he said to the black-haired woman. "The captain wants to see you as soon as possible."

"And what does he want?", she inquired.

"And how do you think I'd know what goes through that hollow head of his, huh?", he replied, frowning. "Just go see him and stop talking."

The office of the captain of the 7th division of the Harusame turned out to be unnecessarily big, even to the point one could think the furniture in there could be arranged in a better way to make the most of the space there. But had she walked into the lion's den just to realize the place was in need of a good interior designer or to see what that sadist Yato wanted with her? The answer was simple, and because of it she had silently directed her steps towards the desk behind the mocking captain.

"What did you call me for, captain?", her gaze settled on the broad back of the young man, who opted to look what the outer space had to offer him.

"As this crew's captain, it's my duty and responsibility to punish the misconducts of my subordinates", he established, casting her a sideways glance. "Not only did you pass yourself off as one of my men, but you were also about to make a grave mistake."

"I apologized, didn't I?" She knew that man was unstable, in a certain way, and that there were some things he didn't tolerate or wouldn't let happen. "And it's not like I had the intention of freeing all those slaves, captain", she grumbled. "I'm not stupid and I like how my head looks upon my shoulders."

"How did you end up getting captured by the men of that pathetic general?" She didn't doubt that Kamui could be somewhat curious about things around him, but Oshin had the feeling there was a reason for his sudden questioning, and she immediately connected it with what he could have found between her belongings.

"Isn't it common for us the weak to be constant victims of the abuses of the strongest?" Answering wasn't that hard. But she didn't want to; to her, he was a stranger and a potential enemy.

"Well, that's a fact I won't discuss with you, healer." He turned to face his interlocutor with a gesture on his lips close to a mocking smile. "Abuto usually exaggerates when it comes to distrusting people or of what goes on, but it looks like he was right this time."

"…That's..." There was no need to say anything when her pupils had given her away. What could be on that picture that could have exposed her like that?

"What business could a woman like you possibly have with the captain of the 2nd division of Harusame? Although… How does someone like you know about a person like him in the first place?" To think all this looked too suspicious was an understatement. Something stunk and she wanted to get to the bottom of it by simple banal snooping.

"Prying into a lady's belongings is really rude." She crossed her arms, cooling her head. There was no point in getting anxious or wanting to say something out of place. "And actually, I don't have any important business with him… It's more like he's the only one who can tell me where to find a certain person…", she answered, slurring every syllable in obvious irritation. Whoever she was looking for caused her enough anger that it caused her gaze to harden. "And it's not like I've been on Earth my whole life so I don't know what's beyond."

"Someone like you won't ever be able to meet a man like this." He dropped the photograph on his desk with obvious lack of interest. "It's possible you'll be already dead before you even get to ask him about this person."

"That's your theory." She took what by right belonged to her and fixed her gaze on him, on that boy that was smiling casually at her, like he had never killed somebody. "You could say it was a slight miscalculation that I've ended up in the 7th division."

"You really wish to die this much?"

"No, but my personal matters are above everything", she established seriously. Kamui only hid his blue eyes behind that deceitful expression he liked to use to hide what he was really thinking. "If you plan to kill me, go ahead. At least do it seriously and take that smile off your face."

"It's not my style to kill women…", he said calmly. "After all, women can end up having a strong kid, right? Besides, I like to show respect to my adversaries through a smile."

"Hah…!?" Never in her life had she heard such a reasoning. Or was he even harder to read than she had imagined, or hadn't she really thought that his way of perceiving things could be that twisted? "…I don't know if I'm surprised or offended by what you said." She knew he was extremely strong, but did he see himself in such an egocentric way that he even bragged about the children who weren't even born yet and that he'd defeat? And what was that about the way he'd chosen to say goodbye to his adversaries? "The only thing I know is that your way of thinking is way off."

"It's not like I'm expecting a simple earthling like you to understand the way the Yato see things." He let himself drop on his chair and stared at the girl that until then had objected everything he'd said. If she was suicidal or not, he couldn't care less; but at least he gave her credit for not having ran out of there already.

"As far as I know, most of you people are nothing more than addicts to battle and bloodshed… Beings that only know how to exist inside the battlefield… Pathetic persons that will be hated or used most of your lives." Her tone showed aversion and total disgust. It was like she kept a profound hatred against his species inside her.

"I don't know what happened to you with people of my race, and I don't care, but you ended up in the worst of all places", he said. Oshin simply put the photo in her pant's pocket, like she was trying to find a way to not lose her temper.

"Even now you know how I feel about those of your species, do you intend to leave me here?" She was preparing herself for the worst. It was better to visualize the worst-case scenario to be prepared. "It would be absurd to let someone who dislikes you this much live."

"From my point of view, there's not much you can do against them or me", he mentioned amused. "I see no danger in letting you live. At least for now."

" _I can't understand how this guy's head works… I mean, he's nothing more than a Yato who enjoys killing his adversaries without a real motive, and that has the Harusame's support. Someone who's obsessed with finding adversaries of his level… "_

"Besides, you can be useful to us… Or at least that's what Abuto said last time." It wasn't his childish easiness what bothered Oshin, but rather that he looked so harmless, so incapable of blowing someone's head off. How the hell could a killer like him give the impression to be a mentally healthy person?

"Why the hell did you send me to the kitchen when you know I'm an apothecary?", she complained. She had every right to do it.

"Because you'll be more useful there", he told her, raising his finger as a support to his decision.? "So, good luck, Healer-san~."

"I'm an apothecary!"

It wasn't neither the moment nor the place to be remembering unnecessary situations, but the strange dish served in front of her looked a lot like the ones she used to make when she was still getting used to the cooking; and the ones she used to get yelled at for by both the cook and the guests. And apparently, it was the same case at that moment, only with totally different actors.

"How dare you serve us trash like this!", shouted with clear annoyance the blond before throwing the dish against the chest of the young girl, who had just served them their food and stood there waiting for another order.

"I'm…! I'm so sorry, Hekiru-san!" The fear that was visible in her quavering pupils was nothing compared with what she was doing at the moment. How could a human being allow to be denigrated like that? For what reasons had that young woman to kneel down and beg to him?

"If you've already understood, then go get something decent for me and my future wife", he ordered with a deceptive calmness.

"R-right away!" The servant left the dining room at an astonishing speed, like she was scared something bad would happen if she came back late with their food.

"Excuse these people. But it's hard to find reliable personnel these days." He was looking at her closely, as if he was trying to find the same feeling in her that he had perceived in the confused servant.

"I'm not hungry, anyway", she replied, keeping her gaze on his. Only a table and an extravagant flower arrangement kept them apart.

"I have to admit I was hesitant about which kind of clothing would suit you better. But I think my good tastes have showed and I got it right, Oshin." The outfit the man had chosen for her was a hanbok, so that she wore it with elegance all around the place while she accompanied him. "The white of the jeogori, that royal blue baerae and the rest of the outfit match wonderfully well with the black of your hair… You're simply one of my best works of art."

"I'd never used clothes like these before." She hadn't even worn a kimono. She preferred occidental clothes. "Though I don't understand. For what reason would you pick an ordinary woman like me to hold the title of your future wife?"

"…The color of your eyes has captivated me… That calm and, at the same time, vivid crimson reminds me of the perpetual beauty rubies possess…". She remained completely quiet. The reasons he was giving her were absolutely ridiculous. "Besides, anatomically speaking, you have the attributes needed to have healthy children."

"And would a man like you be happy to take another man's woman as your wife?", she asked in an even tone, without taking her attention off the annoyed expression on the blond's face. Apparently, she had hit him where it hurts most. "I'm an engaged woman, even if it's hard to believe."

"And where's that man supposed to be right now?" Nobody could come and take from him what he considered as his. "Shouldn't he be taking better care of you?"

"Actually, he used to take care of me. That's why he asked me to stay away from problems, but… I ended up meeting those men and now I'm locked here", she told with fake sadness. "I'm sure he must be worried about me, looking everywhere for me… After all, we promised we'd get married soon and form a small family here in Edo." If what she wanted to do was to anger that volatile man, she had succeeded without much effort. And a proof of that was the sour look on the man's face.

"Unfortunately, that man will have to break off the engagement with you", he stated with a soft smile. "He doesn't stand a chance against my abilities."

"I wouldn't be so sure about it", she objected. "He's very strong. An experienced fighter with great skills who's survived many battles." The words that came out of her mouth weren't lies. Abuto truly was a dangerous Yato and the second strongest in the once well-known 7th Division. "If he knows you're keeping me here, forcing me to marry you, he'll kill you."

"Are you that sure your beloved fiancé will come looking for you and attempt to commit suicide like that?" The man stood up from his seat, walked toward her and grabbed her arm roughly, forcing her to get up. "It'd be better if you forgot about him and saw me as the man who'll take care of you from now on."

"Never…", she expressed, freeing herself from the blond's grasp. "You'll never beat him, Hekiru."

"Do you want to bet, Oshin?" He smiled, as if he knew he had won the bet, even when it hadn't been made yet. "Tell me the name of your brave warrior and I'll find him and bring you his head on a silver platter."

Perhaps it was the weather that had started to get colder or the rain that had gotten even more intense what was making that man unable to stop sneezing even once; as if suddenly the flu had decided to go camping inside his organism. Or it was probably someone talking about him without him knowing.

"They say idiot's never get sick." That was the mocking comment that came out of Kamui's mouth after having heard Abuto sneeze more than ten times.

"I think the Earth's damn weather is starting to p*** me off", Abuto said in his defense. "Besides, where are we supposed to be headed now?" It was about time he asked that.

"To Edo", he replied innocently.

"Oi, oi, you're not thinking of going after that samurai right now, right? We have enough problems at the moment." He was begging it wasn't the case.

"Didn't you hear what that Amanto said, Abuto?" The brunet tried to remember, recalling the moment after they'd abandoned their attackers' space ship, where they had been lucky enough to bump into a few guards waiting for them to get out to ambush them.

"I remember you killed them all. So, when did you have the time to ask for information?"

"That's the least of our problems", he added after coming to a halt before what clearly seemed to be a steep cliff. "He mentioned we wouldn't get away with it. That the new King of the Night would get rid of everyone who wants to get in his way."

"So, there's actually someone crazy enough to try to get hold of a title so ridiculously ostentatious." After the deadly fall that lied under their feet hid not only a dense and vast vegetation, but also the only path that lead to the run-down city of Edo.

"I have the feeling we'll meet her in that place."

"Hah? Who are you talking about?" His question had to wait to be answered. That captain of his had already jumped to what many would consider a certain death. "And once again he's stupidly excited about the promise of a good adversary… As if we hadn't too many already." Resignation was the only thing left for him at the moment.

Did he ever think she'd just turn into another piece of that huge, disgusting doll house of his? Did she think a man's ego could be so easily hurt so she could manipulate him for her own benefit? None of what she was living seemed to be real, but after seeing the comings and goings of all those girls exhibited for their beauty and bodies, it was clear to her how badly she wanted to get out of that place.

But unfortunately, that wouldn't be possible. Not until she found information that could answer all her question about the new so-called King of the Night.

" _The only think I can thank that idiot Hekiru about is that he lets me roam free and doesn't lock me up like the rest of those women."_  Even though the area she was allowed to be in wasn't even a quarter of the whole castle, it was enough for her not to go crazy.  _"And although at first sight they look like human beings, they must be strong, or at least possess enough abilities to face the monsters living in Edo and that could confront them at any time."_

"Is something wrong, Oshin-sama? Are you lost, perhaps? Or do you need any of our services?" Behind her, the attentive voice of a maid made itself present.

"But you…" She turned towards the young woman. Her memory wasn't that bad, and she was sure she had been caught with the girl. So, why was she so calm now? As if nothing bad had happened to her.

"Is something the matter, Oshin-sama?"

"I'd like some white tea, if it's not too much trouble", she asked kindly. Though it seemed the young woman didn't seem to know exactly what that infusion was. "I can make it myself if you don't know how to prepare it."

"No, no, of course not. I know perfectly well how to prepare it", she intervened. "It's just that I wasn't expecting you to have such refined tastes, Oshin-sama."

"My mother was a tea lover, so I learnt to like it since I was little." Both girls started to move, apparently headed to the room used to drink that delicious beverage.

"Have you enjoyed your stay in the palace? Isn't Hekiru-sama a great man? I'm sure he'll make you a very happy woman." The black-haired woman just analyzed her words. She wanted to know the reason why a terrorized girl had turned so devoted to that place and all that happened in it.

"He seems like an interesting man, but I'm not sure I can see him as my husband." The girl opened the sliding door in front of them, allowing them to go inside.

"Perhaps there's already another man in your heart?" Oshin took a seat on a comfortable cushion, fixing her gaze on the small table in front of her, completely ignoring how well decorated the whole place was. "Is he a good man?"

"I never said my heart is already taken or anything like that." As if some nonsense like that could be true. She was sure she didn't know nobody who could take credit for that fact. But if that was what she believed, then how come she seemed to remember the stupid face of that smiling idiot?  _"There's no way I can have that kind of interest in a guy like him…"_

"I'll bring your tea in a moment, Oshin-sama." She didn't even hear her words of farewell or the moment she left, closing the door after her.

" _Why am I thinking about him in the first place? The only thing I should focus on is in getting information and on the excuse I'll use after I see Abuto and he's pissed for me using that lie for my own benefit again…"_

"Here you go, Oshin-sama." Too much thinking would be bad for her. Although at the moment the only thing she had to do was to drink the delicious and delicate white tea served in her cup. And the best thing was that they had even brought those pretty, mouthwatering bread flowers.

"They look really good." She referred to the flawless pieces of bakery.

"It's soft bread filled with sweet cream. I hope it's of your liking."

"White tea has the same properties that of the green tea, but it's three times more effective. Also, it's known as the "elixir of youth" and its making must be careful... It's just art." Indeed, she was praising the good work done by the young girl. "It's one of the best I've drank."

"You're really knowledgeable, Oshin-sama."

"I have very specific hobbies." And now that she had tried her first favorite thing, the second one was next: her weakness for bakery products was terrible. "It's a shame to eat something so pretty."

"That's the same thing we all thought when Hekiru-sama offered us those small breads after our arrival." The dark-haired woman wasn't stupid, and she could sound paranoid, but maybe there was a connection between that bread and those girls' behavior.

" _And what if they've drugged them with this bread so they act like that? It'd be totally foolish to eat this knowing it could be that dangerous…"._  Do you think you could bring me some red tea? After all I've eaten and these delicious breads, I could really use a cup."

"Of course." The woman left the room, attending to her request.

" _I could keep one to see if it has something suspicious, but I have to get rid of the rest of them and tell her I'm full, or she'll start doubting…."_  Was she supposed to suspect of everything they fed her now?  _"I don't doubt this could be another one of Hekiru's plans."_

The rain had stopped and there didn't seem to be another reason to keep their umbrellas open. Because not even the sun was there to bother them, since it had hid itself behind a vast group of grayish clouds. Nevertheless, in front of them blocking their path, there seemed to be forming the right circumstances to turn such a simple object into a dangerous destructive weapon.

They weren't of the same species as the Amantos that half a day ago had tried to ambush them to kill them, but seeing their postures, they had the same objective.

"Abuto, and you said that it'd be boring to take the longest path."

"It seems that no matter which road we take, they'll find us." His umbrella rested on his right shoulder with some impatience; it was getting ready to attack at any moment. "Are we cursed or something? A severe streak of bad luck?"

"You already heard… That old geezer there is the man Hekiru-sama's looking for."

"Really? I could swear it was that brat."

"Hey, who are you calling an old geezer, you damn underdeveloped lizards!?" First his right arm, now his appearance. Did nobody respect him now? "Hey captain, let's get rid of these idiots once and for all."

"What do you think she could have seen in a man like that? He's not even good-looking", mumbled another one. It was clear that he wanted to die a slow and painful death.

"Let's just cut their heads off and take them to Hekiru-sama so he can celebrate his wedding without any interruptions."

"Wedding…?" The brunet blinked a few times, totally confused. What the hell were they talking about?

"Abuto, why didn't you tell me you knew our adversaries? Were you perhaps thinking of betraying me and that's why you've lead me here so they can kill me?" His tone showed some surprise, but at the same time, it was mixed with amusement and excitement. Even his face was that of a small kid who didn't know how to react.

"Of course, I don't know them, idiot! I don't even know why they know my name", he exclaimed with some annoyance.  _"Though I'm starting to think who could be behind all this… Don't tell me that little b*** has started all this mess… I knew it was a bad idea to send her to get information."_

"No more talking, let's go get them right now!"

Her afternoon had been completely pleasant until then without having to tolerate that man's eccentricities for her inner peace to be broken by being called by the same person who was imposing his wishes against her will.

She couldn't refuse, so she just followed the servant to where Hekiru was waiting for her, looking slightly anxious. It was like he had excellent news to communicate; as if he wished to brag about something to her.

"Is something wrong?" That was the first thing that came through her lips after she heard the door closing behind her, leaving them completely alone inside such a small office.

"I've already taken care of solving that small problem that was stopping us from being happy, Oshin." She knew he'd get involved in the matter, but she didn't expect he would be that quick.

"Killing the man, she loves and making her marry the killer isn't the way to start a happy marriage with a woman", she criticized severely.

"You'll forget him eventually, and your heart will open once again to the experience of a refreshing and intense romance", he expressed like a repressed poet.

"I'm not so sure about that." She knew that Abuto dying that easily was a very distant possibility. However, that fact didn't make her feel less guilty about using the poor man.

"Now that we have nothing standing in our way, we have to plan…" Who dared to interrupt his words? Couldn't they at least wait before giving him a call? "I hope it's important, because I'm planning an important matter."

The news he had gotten must have been so upsetting and annoying that made all the blond's features to contract, expressing his growing anger. Someone couldn't control his ire well enough, to the point in which he took it out on the object in his hands.

"How the hell is he supposed to be still alive!? How could he defeat my men, who have become stronger than the rest!?" He turned to face the only person who could answer him. That same woman only stared at him, like she was silently mocking his naivety of believing he could get rid of that obstacle. "What the hell is that man!?"

"I think I forgot to mention it, but… the man you're trying to kill is a Yato… Although, he should be the least of your worries…You should be more afraid of the idiot accompanying him… The one who won't rest until he finishes with whoever promises being an opponent worthy of a fight."


	7. Pride

"Tsukki!", Kagura yelled at the top of her lungs as soon as her gaze settled on the blonde. It was as if a lot of time had passed since the last time they'd seen each other. Although it was a shame their companions didn't have the same energy as her.

"Kagura, Shinpachi." The woman greeted them with her best smile and that beloved pipe of hers on her left hand. However, when she focused her eyes on the silver-haired man, she couldn't regret more her good will to greet him.

"Ah, well, we lost him… He's been acting this way… since we met her." The dark-haired boy felt quite ashamed of him, and was standing the farthest away from that perm haired samurai as he could.

"He's been seduced by the goddess Aeval, being quickly and stupidly condemned to Yomi… Gin-chan is worse than Sadaharu when the spring comes and only thinks of soaking everything that gets in his way", dramatized the Yato without taking her attention off of the purple-eyed woman. "The only thing he thinks about now is in soaking his sword the whole night."

"Who the hell is that Aeval supposed to be!? Why are you combining different cultures!? And what kind of morals do you have to speak with a mouth that dirty while you're feigning innocence!?" Shinpachi, the only one who was still semi-okay in the head.

"And who's she supposed to be?" To Tsukuyo, the stranger hadn't gone unnoticed. Both because the woman didn't stop catching the attention of the men passing by and for the simple reason that Sakata wouldn't stop gushing over her and behaving like the gentleman he would never be.

"Our client", answered the pair.

"And what are you guys looking for here in Yoshiwara, huh?" The blonde's bad mood was beyond the limits and the people present didn't understand why. In fact, not even her knew exactly why.

"Excuse me for not introducing myself, my name is Akiko Aya", the woman spoke formally, approaching the distrustful blonde. "The reason why we're here is because Sakata-san has accepted my request."

"And why is this all related to Yoshiwara?"

"My sister has been kidnapped along with other girls, to be brought to this city", she explained with a lump in her throat. "This district, which was once saved from Hosen's hands, is being threatened once again."

"What do you mean by that?" She watched the city everyday; if there was something bad going on she'd be the first one to find out.

"I know it's hard to believe me, but you have to."

"She speaks the truth", supported Gintoki. "Do you think such an angelic face would be able to fill her mouth with dirty and unpleasant lies. She might put other kind of things in her mouth, but I'm sure she doesn't do that with lies." To hell with him being the oldest one; Shinpachi and Kagura were already beating him brutally.

"Explain yourself."

"…There's been some rumors spreading around the neighborhood I grew up in lately… Rumors about some strange substance capable of making people forget about their problems, about all bad things tormenting them… Some kind of escape from reality… However, that's not the most terrifying thing, but rather the more amount of it they consume, the more of their will they lose… and they become puppets…" The seriousness with what she said every word, the hard look she was giving them and those shaky fists, that's what told them she was really speaking the truth.

"And you think the drug got here already?"

"I'm sure of it.", she expressed firmly. "Though there's something that's really worrying me."

"Aya-chan claims there's a new group trying to take over Yoshiwara like Housen, the King of the Night, once did." That simple sentence uttered by Kagura managed to make Tsukuyo's face cloud with seriousness.

"Since Gintoki freed Yoshiwara, nobody else has ever touched this place."

"I know that, nevertheless…"

"Her neighborhood has been constantly disturbed by Amanto who claim to be associated with a certain group of individuals." Sakata was totally recovered, though he was pretty battered and his head completely bloody.

"They call themselves Mitsuboshi", added the brunette. "And they've began to spread quickly all around the streets of Edo…"

"So, you've come to save Yoshiwara again…" Tsukuyou looked at the silver-haired man, sighing. "Let us help you. That's the least we can do after you've saved us so many times."

A big and comfortable chair was just what he needed at the moment to let himself drop on, while a small table served wonderfully well as a footstool for him to put his feet on. Etiquette and manners could wait, especially for someone like him who enjoyed gazing at the splendid view in front of him, the same one allowing him to stare at the flashy and loud night life of Yoshiwara.

That red light district, frequented by men who let themselves get seduced by their lowest instincts, was considered as one of the few untouchable places in Edo; a city ruled by its own laws and where justice was nothing, but a mere term found in the dictionary. Yes, that same wild land many wished to have in their power, and that few could manage to obtain.

"What is it you're looking for in this place? Women, money, power, fame… Which of them has conquered your heart, Hekiru?"

"I would say it was power, Yuusha. However, there's something else that has really piqued my interest." The blond, who had remained in silence until that moment, guarding the entrance to the masked man's room, had finally decided to approach him.

"Are you talking about that woman?"

"At first I thought she was pretending not to be scared or worried about being locked here. However, the more time I talked to her the more I realized she is actually a woman capable of keeping a cool head when things get hard." He smiled at his own discovery. "And she seems smart and careful enough… Because until now her will is still intact."

"If that's the case, she'll soon be a problem", pointed out the blue-haired man, without taking his attention off the scenery he could consider as his now. "You need to give her the drug as soon as possible. That way she'll turn into a loyal woman, unable to raise her voice to you.?"

"Besides…"

"What is it now?" He focused his attention on the brown-eyed man, after hearing the serious tone in Hekiru's voice.

"It seems she has some troublesome companions."

"Speak clearly."

"Apparently, before she was brought here she was with some pretty problematic people." He made a prudent pause to allow Yuusha to process the information. "They're a group of Yato."

"It would be too much of a coincidence for it to be the same group of Yato that'd been seen in the area."

"Remember that the last exploration group never came back and all we found was their totally destroyed ship." Speaking of coincidences.

"The Yato represented a big problem for species like us in the past. However, since we have 'that' in our hands, we're pretty even in the battlefield now." The man stood up with noticeable agility and, although it was hard to believe, he seemed to be smiling under the mask hiding his face. "And if the rumors that man has given us, their species is diminishing dangerously…. Why don't we contribute a little to the cause and help them get to the Kingdom of Hades?"

"I'll prepare everything for them to have a warm welcoming."

Would she later regret having opened her mouth more than necessary? She'd probably regret it someday, or perhaps she could start right then. Because not only was she unable to breathe fresh air or to marvel at the aesthetic arrangements of the palace, but she was also outright forbidden to leave the space she had been confined to; the same that was limited by thick iron bars.

Her field of vision was no more than of a corridor and more cells in front of hers. Yes, she'd been locked up in a filthy cell; in that underground world where light didn't reach, where the smell of dampness and urines predominated, in which people were thrown into only to know the agony of death.

"Well, I certainly didn't see this coming", commented Oshin, more to herself than to anybody else. In any case, she found herself completely alone, or that's what she wanted to believe. "I could take a look at that small bread here, though." One advantage of her problematic outfit was that she could hide things in it and take them out as if she was a magician. "Apparently, there's nothing suspicious in it, and the smell is completely normal." The small bread had been completely dismembered between her two hands. "I have no way to confirm if there's something strange in it or not here in this place." She kept quiet as soon as she heard that heavy breathing. The same one that managed to tousle her hair and clothes. "What the...?"

She turned towards the source of that hot and strong wind. Yes, right in the cell across her own, which at first glance seemed to be empty, or that's what the immense darkness invading the cell made her believe. But would she think the same after witnessing those sharp and eager crimson eyes on her, watching her so closely she could almost feel its most latent desires? Or would she reconsider the situation after hearing the unmistakable sound of bones being easily crushed and turned into nothing?

Whatever it was that was locked in there was having an enormous feast, which one could see all over the floor in the form of a scandalous crimson.

" _What the hell are they keeping locked in there!? How did they managed to get a creature like that in here, without nobody noticing it!? And what is it they're feeding it!?"_  She had a theory, but she didn't want to hurry thinking about it. She wanted to remain optimist for as long as possible.

"Does that fear what I see in your pupils, girl?" She recognized that voice, and the fact that it was in the same place as her couldn't mean anything good.

"What are you keeping in there?" Her only visitor had to be precisely the one who could be considered as the current owner of the palace in which she was being kept.

"It's the favorite pet of one of my comrades", spoke Yuusha to the inquisitive girl. "You probably haven't seen one of these ever in your life. Well, it's not a beast that's well-known even to those who live in the outer space."

"What is it?"

"I'll answer your question if you answer mine." It was not a negotiation. He was ordering it.

"What could I know that can be of use to a guy like you?"

"Hekiru told me about you, about how clever you can get to be and that you could've come to this place on purpose." The black-haired woman didn't even blink. She understood perfectly what he claimed. "So…how do you know that Yato? That brat who was once the captain of the 7th Division of the Harusame."

"…I arrived in his ship as simple merchandise… So, consider a vile lie what he said about that Abuto guy." She took a seat on the floor, raising her vermillion gaze to whom was her executioner. "Isn't it ironic to escape from those who were your captors and end up in a place even worse?"

"A lying woman like you fits perfectly well behind those bars", he uttered mockingly and Oshin simply lowered her gaze.

"People like you are despicable… They think people's lives have a price, and that can be handled like merchandise and therefore they've lost their right to have freedom… That you people have power doesn't mean you have the right to crush whoever is beneath you." Such insolence deserved a punishment. One that would be delivered by her own hand.

"The weak have no right to complain. You must only accept your destiny and keep your heads down while you serve for the only thing you're good for." What was unexpected wasn't the fact that he'd grabbed her by the neck with only a hand, squeezing it with the clear intention of breaking her windpipe. What had actually left the assaulted woman stunned was the ease which that man had broken the bars with to get to her neck.

" _It's… like the bars are made of… paper… He's gone through them with disturbing ease…"_  The lack of air was the least of her worries. If she did nothing to free herself, she'd soon be just another snack to the beast locked in there.

"Answering your question…" Lifting that woman's body was nothing to him. And grabbing her by the neck with his right hand made it all easier. "They're known as Syx… They're considered the Yato of the animal kingdom. And as you can imagine, they're extremely dangerous creatures, capable of destroying entire towns in a matter of seconds."

" _Ungh… If… t-this continues like this… I…"_

"It's hard to trust a woman who says that many lies while sounding so convincing." He had released her before he could claim that life as his. "My instinct tells me that even with all the show you've put, there's some truth in it… And since those Yato are getting closer, it doesn't sound like a bad idea to leave you alive a little longer… Since you could be of use to me."

" _He won't be so easy to fool like that narcissist Hekiru_ … Haven't you heard the saying 'you reap what you sow'?" She was barely just recovering her ability to speak, but that wouldn't stop her from expressing herself.

"Woman, that mouth of yours won't let you live for long."

"So, I've been told on many occasions." She smiled, and she did it so widely, as if those terrible words had been a compliment.

"I see, I see", he laughed softly, as if he enjoyed the chat they both were having. "It's not every day you see women like you who have more balls than any man. It's a real pity that I have to offer you as food to our dear pets."

"Sir, sir, there's intruders in the main entrance!", interrupted one of the guards that had just showed up.

"Who would be stupid enough to do something like this?"

" _I know a man that'd be capable of doing something like this… I just hope it isn't him…"_ She knew Kamui's unorthodox methods when facing his adversaries: rough and direct attacks.

"It's two kids and a samurai with a perm", informed the servant. "And they're making a mess all over the place."

" _A samurai with a perm, he said!? I only know one guy with curly hair, but there's no way he's come to this place… I think too many complicated personalities are gathering in the same place."_

"This is the best opportunity to show them what our dear guardian dogs are capable of." The smile plastered on his lips couldn't express in a better way the impatience he had for watching all that scenery dyed in red.

They knew perfectly well the whole area, so it wasn't a problem for them to find the easiest way to enter the palace and deal with what they actually came looking for. However, it seemed they weren't the only ones who thought that they wouldn't be noticed if they went through the wide sewers.

What was curious wasn't that there were just six in that group of sentinels, but rather the kind of creature they belonged to. Did they really take seriously that of having loyal dogs guarding the perimeter of the palace?

Its legs had enough muscle to consider it a fast creature capable of jumping big heights, and combined to the yellowish claws protruding from its paws, they could turn into an unpleasantly fatal combination.

The rest of the body was esthetic, with a white bulky mane that went from the chest around its head, and extended up to the middle of its back. Its long tail seemed to move with the ferocity of a whip, and those aggressive deep blue pupils were glued to what appeared to be its prey.

"Looks like they decided to let their little guardian dogs out", said Abuto ironically after contemplating the serious problems they had in hands.

"It's the first time I see creatures like these. I wonder if they were put in the palace just as decoration or if they can actually be considered guardian dogs", asked Kamui to himself, with obvious interest.

"With that damn size and those freaking fangs, I doubt they're only for decoration", he scolded the foolish Yato. Because those creatures easily surpassed the 1.70 meter, turning into real threats that could rip their limbs off without much difficulty.

"If we don't get rid of them we won't be able to keep moving forward." The blue-eyed boy opted for the simplest decision: to shoot them point blank. That should be enough to send them to the other world. "Huh? Are the bullets defective or something?" He checked his umbrella, trying to find any flaws.

"Stupid idiot, the problem aren't the bullets, it's their skin!" The ammunition had managed to pierce the beast's body, but nothing else. They weren't able to penetrate deep enough for them to wound the creatures. "Apparently, this leaves us no other choice but to get our hands dirty."

"Looks like they're determined to not let us in." He smiled without any discretion while his gaze sharpened and landed on who would soon turn into just another pile of bodies.

Hand-to-hand combat was the Yato's specialty. But did that mean anything if their adversaries found the way to evade the attacks and, simultaneously, looked for openings to return their warm welcome?

They were fast, and smart enough to understand their fighting style, and at the same time, they were so sturdy that their blows only managed to stun them and momentarily drive them back.

"I'd heard there was some kind of animal that was usually compared to the Yato." Abuto held his umbrella firmly, because only that was stopping that beast's teeth from sinking into his head. Although he wasn't sure how much more time he could last in that position. "…Strong, agile, with a natural killer instinct, enviable resistance and…" The last adjective wouldn't remain unknown, because they would live it at first hand.

The high-pitched sound that came from their jaws was so annoying and damaging to their ears that they felt stunned for a few long seconds, with their balance lost, totally exposed before those dogs and whatever they wanted to do to them.

One of them managed to rip the Yato veteran's mechanical arm completely off, saving him from the loss of his other upper limb. The other one had been able to place its claws on Kamui's chest before he could decapitate it.

"One after another, after another… But what the hell does everybody have against my right arm?", huffed Abuto after seeing his once again missing limb. "…We have to close their snouts before they shock us with those sound waves again or it'll the end for us."

"Now I certainly see why they compared them to us." Even with the wound he had his posture wouldn't change and he'd remain standing, looking carefully at the attack position their enemies had taken. "Who would have thought some simple animals would give us more trouble than all the men that'd been sent to kill us?"

"Idiot, take that smile off your face when you have such a wound." They were standing back to back, completely concentrated on those animals. "Stop getting excited and let's finish them off before they do it to us."

Both Yato quitted playing and focused completely on the battle. At first, they'd made the mistake of underestimating them, and thought they'd die with simple blows; but now they understood they had to use their whole strength, the situation started to change significantly.

The hunters became the prey in the blink of an eye; the whole scene dyed completely red and the survivor's anger only lead them to an early sentence.

"By cutting their heads off we could have taken them out." Kamui's soaked hands couldn't distinguish between the blood of his fallen adversaries or of his obvious wounds.

"I have the feeling that those things will be all over the place." Abuto loved fights, the battlefields and formidable enemies. But investing so much time and energy to get rid of those animals wasn't something to his liking. "Whoever is trying to take over Yoshiwara has the resources or the connections to get such exotic and dangerous creatures."

"If we continue wasting time here we won't ever get there. So, let's hurry." There were those monsters they'd just defeated, and then there was him, walking nonchalantly, as if he didn't have a worrying wound that didn't hurt him at all.

" _At this rate this idiot will bleed to death…"_  Patience, that's what he asked everyday to the high heavens and to Buddha. "Though now that I think about it, why am I still working with a guy like this? The pay isn't worth it."

"Abuto, stop complaining and walk faster~" The bastard had an excellent hearing, which is why he'd heard his muttering.

And once again it got quiet between them, but not because they wanted, but because the surprises were just starting, and were more than willing to stop them from invading private property. And even though more of those annoying animals had come as reinforcements, their true interest lied in the companion that had decided to join the party; that same man who was welcoming them with a warm smile, while firmly holding what at first sight wasn't more than a harmless halberd.

Not Kamui nor Abuto recognized him, but the blond seemed to be aware of who they were and what they were looking for there.

"…You must be the savages that have come to bother our calm city…" Hekiru fixed his gaze on the youngest of the two to then move it to whom undeniably provoked him obvious displeasure. "And to think a woman like her can have such unrefined tastes", he snapped, as if he was staring at the most horrendous creature in the planet.

"Why do I feel you're offending me without apparent reason?", muttered the brunet, frowning. "That girl…"

"I'll personally take care of you and take your head to her. We'll see if after that she continues being so calm like she has until now." He shook his weapon a few times and the beasts around him surrounded the pair of Yato.

The vermillion-haired boy would have to deal with the enraged animals before even thinking of moving in on the arrogant blond man.

"Why do I have to deal with something so boring, eh Abuto?" After getting the hang of those beasts, it wasn't that hard to kill them.

"You think It's funny to be in this kind of mess?! If that woman hadn't opened her mouth none of this would've happened." On one side he was complaining of their situation, and on the other he was making use of his excellent reflexes and speed to avoid being cut by Hekiru's sharp weapon.

"What surprises me is that they haven't killed her yet." Before him, another unpleasant and bloody scenery became a reality. There were no more nuisances that could get in his way; now he could go hunt the big fish.

"He seems to have more lives than a filthy cat", said the brunet mockingly. His turn to fight had been completely interrupted by his hasty captain.

"For someone who spoke that much I was expecting a little more endurance." The powerful punch he dealt against the blond's face was potent enough to send him flying a few tens of meters from where the impact took place.

"You should refrain yourself from doing stupid things like these… With such wounds you won't get too far and you'll only turn into a troublesome sack of human meat", suggested Abuto uselessly, since the blue eyed boy simply stared at him, smiling.

"Oh, looks like I talked too soon~" The melodious voice emerging from his vocal cords were a clear proof that he was satisfied with what he was seeing. The man he had just sent flying was supposed to be at least in the realms of unconsciousness; however, he was standing without the smallest of scratches. "I'm sure I just hit you."

"So, this is how it feels to be hit by a Yato… I have to admit I was hoping it felt a little more…spectacular…" His arrogance was slowly starting to bother Kamui's good mood, who wasn't there to be taken lightly.

"You really want to face a Yato's real strength, huh?" His lips showed a flat gesture that expressed that bad jokes would be paid with blood. And there was also those clear but raging blue eyes that were dying to unleash the most violent of storms.


	8. Blaze

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very good night. I'm sorry I didn't update before. But well, the important thing is that I'm here. First of all, I would like to make a clarification: this fanfic began to be written before it showed what was related to Kouka, so there will be things that do not add. But I'll take care of filling those spaces later. No more, enjoy the chapter.
> 
> Parazor: Thank you so much for everything. And don't look at me ugly for not updating the original story XD

Their screams could be heard throughout the whole place, like loud choirs that lasted for eternity, showing the world that true terror exists and is capable of manifesting in different, almost surreal ways. And that was exactly was happening with whom had bravely decided to enter the palace through the front door, naively thinking that the only thing they had to get out of the way were mere guards, when what was actually waiting for them inside was the closest thing to a nightmare.

How many were there? They didn't have time for that nonsense. How would they manage to exterminate them without getting killed in the process? They didn't have enough time to analyze it and find a strategy, either; not when those furious beasts had crushed their weapons with a terrifying ease.

Now they could only run through the halls and pray to be faster than those who were trying to sink their teeth into them. And maybe if they were a little lucky, they could lose them.

"What the hell are those things that are chasing us like we were cattle?!" Running to survive, that was the three members of the Yorozuya's motto.

"Shinpachi, first class beef is the best. Anyone loves a nice piece of meat. Don't judge them for wanting to fill up their bellies", argued Kagura. She didn't seem to be in tune with the rest of them.

"Nobody cares about your consideration towards those things! And whose side are you on!?" Yelling at the top of their lungs wouldn't save their lives, but it was necessary to help him erase the future trauma that'd mark him for life.

"Kagura, Shinpachi, we all agree that the best meat is the soft one that melts in your mouth while an explosion of condiments and accompaniments highlight its natural properties", versified Gintoki, as if the topic they were discussing was about obtaining world peace.

"Do you two seriously only think about food!? Don't you realize that if we're caught we'll be nothing more than ground meat between their teeth!?"

"Pattsuan, for reasons like these is that you'll never be a distinguished member of the Yorozuya… Always cowering because of little things, always making drama like you were the future Drama Queen of Edo, always being so negative", scolded seriously the silver-haired man.

"…Let me remind you that those things are bigger than Sadaharu and they swallowed your sword and umbrella like they were breadsticks…" Nothing like those nice reminders that managed to provoke enthusiasm and collective panic among those three.

"Don't you think they're some pretty dogs!? Maybe we should save some money and buy a few so they can watch the house or take care of the bill collectors that come everyday pretending we owe them money." Sakata and his ability to speak at full speed when he was scared to death. "Help, somebody help me!"

"Why are you only asking for help for yourself, Gin-chan!?" To hell with putting out her leg to trip up the samurai. It was the law of the strongest… or the law of the smartest. The point was to survive.

"Kagura-chan, why did you do that!?" Even though he was criticizing the redhead's action, he wasn't exactly doing something to help that friend in danger that stayed behind.

"It's what Gin-san would've wanted… I'm sure he would have wanted us to survive and carry on his legacy… Gin-chan was a good man."

"Damn Kagura, you beat me to it!", shouted the man lying on the floor, extending his hand towards the pair that seemed too far away now, yearning for them to come rescue him. "That was very smart of you, Kagura-chan."

"No, I don't think he would've ever wanted that… And it's a shame that only by sacrificing himself he can be able to redeem himself for all the bad he's done", murmured the boy with an afflicted look, ignoring Sakata's screams for help. "They haven't even done anything to you yet! And stop congratulating her for leaving you as a scapegoat!"

"Gin-chan, we'll always remember you!"

"We won't forget to put offerings in your grave and pray to you everyday!"

"Thank you for letting us keep living another day!", they exclaimed in unison as thanks to whom for so long granted them the best years of their lives.

They stopped, not because they were having remorse for abandoning that unfortunate samurai, but because they didn't hear any of his complaints or any growls from those monstrous dogs. Was it already over and those animals were satisfied enough to stop chasing them? Or had Sakata Gintoki came back as the samurai that he was, and had managed to shake off their enemies?

And out of curiosity they turned to what could turn into the scene that marked their young existences.

"Oh, he's still alive…", confirmed Kagura while she picked her nose. "They say cockroaches are very hard to kill."

"Actually, those dogs are nowhere to be found…", murmured Shimura, trying to find the animals.

"What are you three doing here?" The fourth voice that joined the chat startled the members of the Yorozuya, making them regroup and take a fighting stance. "Yeah, well, I suppose this must have scared you pretty bad." If those three were scared a while ago, now they had a frightened look all over their faces.

"A zombie, a zombie!", yelled Kagura loudly, starting to run around Shinpachi and Gintoki.

"We have to find a weapon that we can kill her with, so we can go to the Um*** Corporation and find the antidote to save all humanity from the next zombie apocalypse!"

"O-shi…Oshin-san!?" The glasses-wearing boy pointed from her head to every last piece of her bloodstained clothes. "A-are you okay!? And… where did you come from?" The black-haired woman pointed at the sliding door beside her.

"Wipe that scared look off your face, Shimura." Now that she looked at herself, it seemed she had been reborn as a living dead. "And you two, stop pretending you're dead and are now looking for fresh brains."

"Oshin-chan." The side of a monster hunter in Kagura had ended and she found herself hugging the woman now.

"She's a smart girl. She knows she can buy her delicious expensive meat."

"Stop thinking we're all as low as you are… And I don't want to know the real reason why you're drooling right now." The scene in front of them appeared to be, for mentally sane people, that of a girl hugging an old friend tightly. But for individuals with a twisted conscience, it was a child burying her face in between two nice female attributes. "Gin-san, don't make me go look for those dogs so you can be tonight's snack."

"I missed you too, Oshin-chan~… So why don't we hold each other in an embrace full of friendship and good vibes. Experts say that a hug is capable of reducing stress, anxiety, as well as lowering the blood pressure, and not to mention it helps building trust and safety."

"How can you be so shameless when your nose is giving you away!? What are you really thinking about when you watch a scene as pure as this!? What kind of 'trust' are you looking for!?", criticized Shinpachi with a dozen of veins bursting all over his head. And it was because the 'responsible adult' that was supposed to guide him was there, raising his hand like a small kid asking for permission to go to the bathroom while he wore a perverted smile on his face.

"And how'd you manage to scare those annoying dogs off?" The Yato had finished her greeting and now looked confused at the crimson-eyed girl.

"That was very simple", she mentioned, showing them the pair of sprayers she held in her hands. "They may be dangerous, but they're still dogs with an excellent sense of smell. That's why smells like alcohol, vinegar, naphthalene or cleaning products are very unpleasant for them, making them run away to stop feeling that discomfort."

"We've been saved by something that pathetic…" And the depression club run by Gintoki opened its doors.

"A couple of sprayers have left us in shame… Does nobody respect a Yato's strength anymore? Is no one afraid of the Yorozuya?"

"Hey, you two, stop behaving so pathetically and thank her for saving us", he told the pair that was already on the floor in a fetal position, babbling about some nonsense. "Ignore them, they're always like that."

"What's the reason why you're here?"

"Well, that's because…"

None of them had a weapon to give more flavor to the battle anymore. The only thing they had at their disposal was the bareness of their fists and the stubborn will to not surrender, even when they were feeling like they were reaching their limit.

A fist smashing into the other's face, a front kick shaking the abdomen of whom was already hurt in a previous fight. And another round of counterattacks and dodges that were only unnecessarily prolonging a battle that should have ended long time ago.

Hadn't he already exterminated his adversary, since he had provided him a good amount of fun, or was it that he was worse than an entire colony of cockroaches? Why was he still standing, without suffering and completely whole even after Kamui'd broken all the bones of his arms and left leg? How had he managed to put himself at his level? What was that blond supposed to be if he couldn't be classified as neither an earthling nor a Yato?

"I wasn't expecting a kid like you to give me this much trouble. And look, I even had to use another dose to be able to send you to hell." He took a small bottle out of his pocket and quickly shattered it to pieces; what mattered to him was its content: those blue pills that he swallowed in no time. "After this incredible discovery, Amanto like you don't represent even the slightest danger." Every last wound started to disappear from his body, leaving only his damaged clothes.

"Nobody can have such a high level of regeneration… Not even the Yato can heal so quickly." If even to Abuto seemed wrong the fact that that man could face them and stand up after all the damage Kamui had inflicted him, now he could say he wasn't completely sure that they could keep up if they considered that man had the way to cure himself that quickly... "Captain, are you sure you want to continue an encounter in which he'll keep healing himself as many times as necessary while he keeps wiping the floor with you?"

"Until a moment ago I thought I had come across a formidable enemy that could be a match for me and would provide a formidable show, however…" All the excitement he felt during their battle had dropped dangerously, leaving him with an angry look on his face and an unreasonable urge to finish their encounter in a quick way. "…Turns out he's nothing more than a fraud that had to resort to a cheap game to be able to test his strength with a Yato's."

"That's what bothered you!?", blurted out Abuto, glancing at the bloodstained boy.

Life is full of coincidental events, of those wonderful moments when life decides to turn its back on you and laugh out loud while walking away, waiting to see what happens after its change of plans.

That unpleasant blow of fate had impacted literally and metaphorically on whom had managed to keep up with them for so long.

"Mmm… Abuto, do you think that medicine he took can be used to put all his parts together?"

"Honestly… I don't think such a medicine even exists to do 'something' about this… In fact, right now I doubt there'll be even an arm of him left…"

What had fell from above wasn't a large object, but rather a monstrous being that had chosen him as his landing cushion. The same that, thanks to its enormous weight and the force of its fall had caused the breaking of what once was a whole, full of life human.

Under those heavy paws lied the human purée of organs seasoned with dust and the river of blood that flowed between the crimson of its claws.

It was a beast similar to the one they'd been fighting; however, the white fur had been replaced by a jet black one, and its eyes were like gold itself.

"Is it me or this little friend here is a little bigger than the rest?", pondered Abuto after noticing that the canine could easily reach the two meters high. "And I think it's much more pissed than the others."

"Are you sure your sense of smell is working?" Both men fixed their attention on the person coming out from between the bulky fur of the animal. "Where are we supposed to be?"

"Hey, what the hell are you doing up there!? Why are you riding that beast of mass destruction?", spoke Abuto from the floor, staring at who appeared to be perfectly calm up on the head of that dog.

"Abuto, you're still alive." How could she say that? That woman sure had some nerve. "I knew that idiot couldn't kill you that easily."

"You were the one who caused all this, right? Hey, I'm talking to you!" He sighed before the massive brush off of the girl. "I keep asking myself why I continue to put up with you… And the man you're looking for is underneath you, turned into a… shapeless mass."

"Well, apparently you did know where you were heading." Oshin simply got off the animal's back, frowning after seeing the state in which the two of them were; especially that of a certain redhead, who despite everything remained standing. "I'm surprised you haven't bled to death already."

"That's not as awesome as the fact that you've domesticated one of those monstrous dogs. Is being a beast tamer your second job or something?" That pretty, shiny smile would get a nice punch someday, she promised.

"…I'm starting to believe that… Considering that until now you've been doing a pretty good job with a certain stupid 'monster' I know." Abuto glanced discreetly at his captain; he needed to relieve let off steam and have fun. And frankly, the circumstances and Kamui's words lend themselves for it.

"Don't insult the Syx… He's more well-behaved and less irritating than what you have as captain", objected vehemently the black-haired woman.

"And since you're here now, why don't you tell us which path we should take to meet the one who's pulling the strings in this place?" The apothecary knew he would come up with something as stupid as that.

"I'll tell you if you let me do something about your wounds first." She knew she couldn't stop him once an idea settled in his head, but at least she could half-fix the situation.

"I hate to admit it, but she's right", Abuto supported. "If the boss that's waiting for us has the same tricks under his sleeve, your ticket to the other world is guaranteed, captain."

"You can tell me what happened while I deal with this idiot." The Syx shook his body, like every dog after a good shower, allowing a pair of metallic cubes to fall down to the floor. "If you want to stand while I bandage you, that's fine." The first box she opened contained bandages, alcohol, disinfectant and apparently, needle and thread.

"It seems they've managed to produce a drug good enough to make people turn into real battle beasts… Even their healing ability is superior to that of any species", explained the brunet, staring at his stubborn captain standing while Oshin focused on taking entirely off the upper part of his clothes; she was cleaning the blood and disinfecting the whole area, and she would surely end up stitching up the wound.

"Aren't they adorable creatures?", the young apothecary asked his patient. "Their claws have enough strength to crush bones while their fangs have the ability to turn steel into mere plasticine... Not to mention their quick reflexes, the hardness of their skin and that piercing howl."

"You sound pretty informed about it." The boy knitted his brows before the lacking gentleness with which she was bandaging his abdomen and chest to finish her first aid. It was like she wanted to leave him without breath or get revenge for one of the many things he'd done to her.

"If they're not tight enough they could untie, and you'll start bleeding again", she justified her brusque act. "And being as you are, we must take precautions, so take this." On the palm of her hand was a small paper envelope. "It'll delay the time of bleeding in case your wounds get worse because of the pressure of the fighting."

"The last time I took something you gave me it tasted… awful." Kids, where?

"Then don't take it and bleed to death once and for all." This was the way he paid for her excellent healing services?

"Just calm down already, both of you…"

"Ugh…This tastes even worse." Kamui agreed to it only because he knew that medicine would carry out its mission and grant him more time inside the battlefield. "These should have better flavor."

"Medicine doesn't have to taste good." Well, at least he had taken them, despite his complaints. "And if there's more of those drugs out there, it only means there'll be more trouble… as much for the Amanto as for human beings…"

"Speaking of insane things, how did you get that thing to follow you here and not try to have you for lunch?"

"Ah, well… It's just… I have this big weakness when I run into defenseless, abandoned puppies… After seeing them I feel this intense need to pet them and take them home with me", she answered to Abuto, turning her back on him and fiddling with some bandages in her hands; it was as if she was extremely embarrassed, nervous and excited about what she was telling them. "And after seeing him locked up there, completely alone and with no one to care for his well-being, I wanted to do the right thing…So I… took him out of his cage… and he made such a mess on the way here… However, I think he's very grateful and now he follows me everywhere." Now she looked at them casually, with a big smile on her lips and an air of pure innocence that showed them what she had done was a noble act and she hadn't caused any harm.

"…You won't make your crime less serious even with that pretty smile…", whispered Abuto to the carefree apothecary.

His fists slammed against the surface of the table, with enough force to turn it into a mere pile of splinters. His muscles tightened, tensing in an unnecessary way while his jaw closed tightly, preventing even the smallest of angry mutters to come out of his mouth. In that moment he wasn't there for anybody, he didn't even want to finish hearing what was obvious to his reasoning; in that instant he only cared about taking his weapon and leaving the room that until recently was his sacred chamber.

Six intruders, each one of them with clear intentions, but that he didn't know about. Six trouble makers he considered suicidal and stupidly brave; the same ones he would personally kick out of his domain, whether they were in one piece or in shreds.

Which of the six of them would he find first?

"It seems somebody isn't in a very good mood tonight. Does that t*** mask hide an ugly face that'd scare any woman that crosses your path? Are you frustrated about all the constant bullying and you decided to go through life with that mask and that old-fashioned weapon?" His hilarious humor, combined with that mocking, wide smile did nothing but p*** the one who'd cross his path off.

"You have to be the samurai everyone's talking about in Yoshiwara. The same one who managed to free this city from Housen's claws."

"And you the new pervert geezer who's trying to follow his steps." He drew his sword form his waist. He knew the moment they stopped talking, real action would begin. "No offense, but this place's much better off without conceited individuals like you… Yoshiwara doesn't need another king or anyone who wants to impose their laws over it."

"A samurai without an owner and with a wooden sword is nothing more than a man whose soul is drying up." He held his mace with his left hand, ready for the moment when he'd to use it to shut that chatty warrior's mouth. "Do you feel satisfied with the lifestyle you're leading now after having remained for so long in the violent battlefields, Shiroyasha?"

"A man like me only needs a warm bed and a beautiful woman serving me a sweet, expensive drink, nothing else." He took a step forward, like he was mimicking the masked man.

"Who would've thought? You turned out to be an easy man to understand." It didn't make sense to keep his face hidden anymore, but every time someone saw it, he managed to get the same expression that he was perceiving in Gintoki's face. "I'm not in Yoshiwara to become the successor of Housen's legacy. This is just a mere entertainment until he decides to show up…" The palm of his right hand moved over his face, over the bandages that covered practically the whole area, the same ones that weren't bothered by the roughness and ugly appearance of the skin exposed through the yellowish fabric. "The man that did this to my face and slaughtered my clan for mere fun; you should be more worried about him than about an outcast like me." Without eyelids or any skin covering his eyes, those eye sockets looked grotesque, as if they would come out at any moment. He was really a monster.

"What kind of freaking madman would do something like this?" It wasn't like he was starting to feel sorry for him and to justify his actions in the name of revenge, but rather he was worried about a beast like that being capable of lurking around Edo.

"…The Yato aren't the only species you should be afraid of, samurai…"

Gintoki understood the message the instant his sword clashed directly against Yuusha's thick metallic mace. If he'd reacted a couple of seconds later, the consequences would've been catastrophic, not to mention fatal.

His body straightened up in a second, both his hands held his wooden sword and he used all his strength to keep that posture, not moving even an inch or he'd be completely crushed.

"Tsk… _His strength is overwhelming! He's not at the level of that damn geezer, but is strong enough to stop me from moving from this position without breaking my bones first."_

"Will your bones be able to handle the pressure any longer or will they break first?" His other hand joined the sum of forces, aggravating the already delicate situation Gintoki was in. Why was he so strong? And, above all else, how strong was he really? "An unbreakable will won't always guarantee that you survive, Shiroyasha."

For someone as important as him, having to spend his time with individuals of a lower social status than him was a complete waste of time. And even though he tried to turn down that diplomatic audience, he didn't have other choice but to assist the small social event; more than anything due to the words of the one who took care of scheduling the meeting.

A hall decorated with fine, expensive paintings, a big banquet and beautiful women to address any need of the current Shogun. It was all there was needed for the meeting to be a success.

"Go ahead", spoke the great ruler of Edo, Hitotsubashi Nobu Nobu.

"In the name of my teacher, we greatly appreciate that you let us hold this conference, Shogun-sama."

The young girl that came into the hall couldn't be older than thirteen, and nonetheless she possessed a bearing worthy of an experienced diplomat.

From her vivacious, almond-shaped eyes, to her tanned skin and finishing with that dark, short hair, that girl was striking enough not to go unnoticed by all those people. And that she was wearing that nice black sleeveless dress, decorated with numerous white ribbons, made her endearing.

"My name is Touka, Shogun-sama. It is a pleasure to meet you." Her wooden shoes sounded melodiously against the polished floor. And before everyone's eyes, she sat in front of the arrogant man and offered a bow.

"I didn't expect my interviewer to be a… little girl." The brunet was clearly offended. He didn't have the time to waste on a kid.

"My teacher trusts my diplomatic abilities and considers I'm enough to deliver our message, and our petition, to you."

"Speak quickly, I have more important things to do."

"Shogun-sama, have you heard of the Four Imperial Generals?" The silence of the green-eyed man made pretty clear that he did know them.

"And what about it?", he blurted out. "The Four Imperial Generals disappeared after the rise of Tokugawa Sada Sada to the throne."

"In theory, that's what everyone thinks to date", said the brunette with absolute certainty. "However, they're back and are threatening to shatter your empire, my lord. Just like they did years ago."

"What did you say!?" The man stood up from his seat, completely upset and disbelieving. "Don't be telling such a pack of lies, kid. They all died. They perished in battle when they tried to go after Sada Sada's head."

"Are you absolutely sure about that, sir?" The question wasn't the problem, but the pictures she was taking out from her garments. "You must remember their faces. Since for a long time their faces were the most wanted in Edo."

"W-wait a moment…But, this is…" He couldn't believe it, even if he was seeing it with his own eyes; it was them, it was actually those traitors to the country. A bunch of dirty rats that hadn't died and were back for revenge. "How did you get something like these…?" Those photos had turned into a crumpled paper that didn't stop being crushed by his hands.

"They were seen in Osaka, my lord… And even though many have forgotten their faces, my teacher didn't. He recognized them and wanted to notify you as soon as possible."

"It's hard to believe they're still alive… They're supposed to…"

"I think what's important now is to anticipate any possible disturbance." Her caramel pupils focused on the stunned man. "If they've gathered once again, that means they're planning something. And considering their history, it must be related to you."

"So, this meeting was to warn me."

"And also, to offer you our services, my lord", she immediately clarified. "With your permission, we want to form the new police that cares for your safety and Edo's." She fixed her attention on him with an unbreakable conviction. "Let us be the new sword that protects and saves the whole country."


	9. Eye to Eye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon! An apology for the delay. I hope you have not forgotten this fanfic. Thanks to the people who read and follow this story. Enjoy. Things will get interesting at last. Nice week! :D
> 
> Parazor: Thank you very much for your effort and support. Without you this project would not have materialized.

The floor roared under their feet, it trembled as a result of the constant clash of forces those two men caused every time the distance between them got dangerously short. The whole scene in which their battlefield was unfolding was lost, falling in to destruction and turning into useless rubble. In that wide hall were just the two of them, and no one else.

Gintoki, the feared swordsman who fought bravely against the Amanto to protect his friends, whose burning lust for battle sleeping in his veins awoke once again. Yuusha, the self-proclaimed new King of the Night, did nothing but pressure him and get excited over the splendid opponent in front of him.

The wooden sword resisting the force of his mace. The spirit of a samurai facing that of a vile, cold-blooded murderer. Two persons who didn't have the need to know each other and exchange punches were there, fighting and trying to maintain their own ideals. Wasn't that the only way in which warriors like them knew how to live?

"You're not bad at all, brat." He spat the blood that had accumulated in his mouth after the silver-haired man had delivered such a punch to his jaw.

"For an old man, you still can defend yourself well." Sakata, for his part, was trying to regain his balance after the blue-haired man's hit to his head.

"Are you okay being here, knowing your two proteges are wandering around my palace?", he questioned with a mocking smirk. "I'm not the only danger in this place."

"They're old enough. They can take care of themselves pretty well." He trusted them to the point that he ordered them to keep moving to find the person they came to rescue.

"If you're here to save someone, I assure you, you're wasting your time", the man expressed arrogantly. "None of those women will go back to how they were before. Not after what they've tasted."

" _Tasted? What the hell does he mean by that? Is he referring to the drug Aya-chan mentioned us? Is that thing that dangerous?"_

"Many things have started to happen around you and you haven't even realized it."

For a creature like that there was no problem in remaining in the deepest part of the palace. Not when it was skilled enough to use the pipes around it as trampolines that would inevitably take them to the surface, to that place where the real fun was. Besides, nobody would be brave enough to get in the way of a monstrous canine that made its way with those intimidating fangs.

"We've arrived faster than I thought we would", expressed Oshin calmly, her gaze settled on the room they'd accessed from below, leaving a world of wreckage behind.

"Damn it, why the hell didn't you warn us that we would come up here in such a way!?" Abuto almost fell from the Syx's back a few times.

"You have to admit it was much faster this way." Kamui, for his part, had gotten off the beast and was looking around. "I can't hear a thing, so we must be pretty far away from the action."

"You better park your 'pet' or it'll destroy the whole place", said the brunet to a certain black-haired woman. That thing that was rubbing its face against the apothecary's barely even fit in the room.

"But he'll feel lonely if I leave him here. He'll think I've abandoned him, isn't that right Masamune?"

"You've named it already!? Do you really intend to keep it!?"

"In a way, he could help us make our way easily." That playful look in the redhead's face couldn't mean anything. Yes, they were both able to interpret the underlying message.

"Well, if we've already made this much damage, what does it matter if we make some more?", whistled the apothecary. Abuto sighed sorrowfully.

However, before they could carry out their little mischief, they realized their intrusion hadn't been overlooked. Who would've thought? The enemies had found them first, and the best part was that it seemed they could see the one who could be considered the leader in between that whole bunch of barbarians.

"I think they're pretty eager to fight us as well." The blue eyes focused on the only person who caught his attention: on that man wearing a white hood that didn't let any part of his physical appearance show.

"You won't advance any further. You'll die right here", stated dryly the one hiding his identity. "And you'll regret ever letting my precious pets escape."

"You see? I told you. You were going to get us in more unnecessary trouble", chastised the brunet a certain troublemaker.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." Nobody would threaten Kamui and tell him what he could or couldn't do. "I hope you bite the same way you bark", he smiled slightly, taking a fighting stance. "Because your comrade ended up being nothing more than a fraud."

"Don't compare me with that bleached small fry." There was that particular object again, which to them was very familiar.

"Do we really have to fight one of our own again? Is this place cursed or something?" To Abuto, fighting one of his own kind wasn't something he enjoyed. And having to meet someone of the sort in that place wasn't comforting at all, after having been through the same thing with his captain's sister.

"Isn't it better to face one of your own than fight someone who's just pretending to be one through cheap tricks?" They weren't dealing with a 'he', but with a 'she'. They knew it the instant she removed her garment. "Yuusha has ordered me to get rid of all the intruders, so this is nothing personal, kid."

"Wait a minute… What she's carrying is… Where did you get that sword?", asked Oshin as soon as she noticed such a particular object.

"Oh, this? I found it lying somewhere", she answered calmly.

"Is your name Aya, by any chance…?" Shinpachi had managed to tell her the reason why they'd come here and he also mentioned the young woman who gave them the job; there was no way to mistake a woman like that if the silver haired samurai had described her with such detail.

"Not at all", she assured. "My name isn't that… not at the moment." She smiled widely, with extreme mockery. "Is it you the one who's looking for this sword? This trinket really has to be important to have this many people searching for it."

" _So, this was a trap from the beginning… Is this how they wished to deal with the only person who could try to do something to save Yoshiwara?_ I'll admit you were pretty smart, fooling those three, making them believe you actually wanted to save someone important to you." What disconcerted those two Yato wasn't her words, but her actions. She had moved to where Kamui stood, and unlike other occasions, she showed interest for the person in front of her. "Do you pretend to get rid of that samurai to do as you please here?"

"Would it be a problem if that were the case? Are you perhaps thinking of stopping us?", she lashed out, entertained. She was looking down on her. "Although I must punish you as well for taking my precious pets out of their cages."

Her threat became reality as soon as that simple kick sent the person - who until then had only hurt with her words- flying. For someone with her strength, that feat didn't require even the slightest effort.

"She probably had a quick death, though not a painless one." To the brunette, the only important prey were those two Yato and no one else. "Now that we've gotten rid of the obstacles, should we have some fun together?"

"Maybe you spoke too soon", whispered the redhead to the confident girl.

"Oh don't tell me…", spoke Abuto after feeling the sudden trembling above the ceiling. The one that indicated that everything could come down on them.

Every action has a reaction. Even the boldness of the brunette had gotten a practically immediate response; one that, to her displeasure, she hadn't seen coming and that would make her experience quickly the same fate to which she condemned the apothecary.

However, it wasn't a kick what sent her several meters backwards, destroying everything behind her back, but that pillar that had been pulled out of its foundations to be warmly thrown to her person with the clear intention of making her regret her previous actions.

"…I hate when people interrupts me when I'm trying to explain my point of view. And also, what makes me real angry are people who like to trick others, pretending to be the victims... In more simple terms, I don't like you…" Her voice could be heard clearly, becoming much louder the closer she got to where they all were. The astonished looks of their enemies couldn't believe that she was standing there, right in the entrance she created when she was thrown. "I'm also really careful with my clothes, so the fact that you've got it all full of dust p*** me off."

"She's angry. That chick really screwed it up", spoke Abuto, watching the black-haired woman directing her steps through the path she herself had made when she threw that concrete pillar. "I'm afraid the whole castle's going to come down thanks to her bad habits."

"Abuto, it's not fair that she's getting all the fun."

"Idiot, we still have…" Correction, there was just the two of them now. The rest of the men attacking them had been killed by Kamui in the blink of an eye, and the rest were already on the Syx's stomach, who all they needed was to grab them as if they were human gummy bears. "S hi t, I'm surrounded by two bloodthirsty beasts… And the worst part is that the one who can control them has left to kick that chick's as s…"

It wasn't as if she didn't know that a measure as simple as the one she'd done would manage to knock a woman like that out. But she was completely sure that she'd been careful enough, so the pillar impacted on the right area and left her with at least lack of air and trouble standing up.

"I-I thought you weren't more than a mere slave that had come across those Yato. But it seems I was wrong… Although it's kinda hard to notice when you don't look like one of us at all", spoke the false Akiko while she stood up and felt a shiver all over her body. "Who tried to trick who, now, huh?"

"I don't like umbrellas, I'm not a fan of those oriental clothes you love to wear so much", she pointed out, fixing her gaze on the woman. "And I completely disagree with your notorious excitement for fighting and killing before the slightest provocation."

"You're the first Yato I hear speaking such nonsense… Perhaps there's something wrong with your head?"

"You should be more worried about yourself than about my way of seeing things", she stated plainly. "If you move too much, your lungs could end up being punctured."

"For someone who's against her own nature, you've done something pretty macabre…Admit it, you want to end my life right now… Come on, let those instincts teach you what you're capable of."

"I'm not trying to kill you, because there's actually no real reason for me to do it." The brunette found herself stunned before what she was hearing. And at the same time, she couldn't understand why the woman was so calm and nonchalant about what was happening. "A good for nothing old man told me a few years ago that if I wasn't capable of murdering someone for whatever was the reason, all I had left was one other choice to make them stay out of my way..."

Had it been a consequence of her actual condition what had made her slow to react or was that woman much faster than she had thought? The answer didn't have any significance at the moment; the only thing that made her pupils tremble now was the fact that her right arm had become a mere useless adornment that would hinder her ability to move adequately.

"…And that was to break their bones… so they were unable to get up again." Aya understood she had made a terrible mistake in provoking her, not because of what she'd just done or the warning of what would come after, but because of what she was seeing in those crimson eyes; she found nothing more than her face reflected in them, and the absolute nothing.

"…I see the person who trained you was a freaking sadist." She smiled with enthusiasm, like she was trying to provoke her, and Oshin couldn't understand that gesture.

"More like he's someone who revives a part of his soul when facing dangerous opponents", she mentioned with some annoyance. "I sometimes think a part of him is like a Yato's, 'cause he's very much like you all."

"Denying your nature won't make that blood disappear, kid." The pain was nothing to her and more since she was now motivated by the person she was facing; she might not have the guts to kill her, but she had enough nerve to leave her limbs useless. "What are you so afraid of? Are you scared of discovering the monster inside of you?"

Prolonging his fights more than necessary wasn't his style, but there was nothing he could do against someone who, no matter the damage he received, continued to be completely whole, his body was simply healing at an unimaginable rate while his own was quickly decaying. And the worst part was the excessive amount of blood pouring quickly from his left shoulder; the same one that almost got teared off after receiving a full blow.

If he wanted to get out alive from there he had to make sure that man wouldn't get up again, and therefore he had to seriously consider that the best way to do that was to be certain that his heart wouldn't beat anymore.

However, that wouldn't be so simple, and much less now that the only weapon protecting him was nothing more than a useless piece of wood which collapsed when trying to pierce Yuusha's chest.

" _It shattered that easily!? Did his body harden all of a sudden or something!? How the h ell does he manage to heal himself so quickly!? What is that man!? Damn it, there must be a way to finish him."_  The exhaustion after such an intense fight was already taking its toll. And the worst thing was that his opponent was too fresh, as if he was just getting serious, and that meant dangerous problems.

"You should have picked your battlefield better." The blue-haired man glanced at the sorry state Gintoki was in. "I really enjoyed our fight, samurai. Though sadly, we must end it."

"I wouldn't bet on it", he straightened up, with his head held high, as if he had a huge advantage over him. "It's common sense to stop a freak like you from surrounding himself with beautiful women. It'd be unforgivable for a master of seduction like myself."

"…I found you…"

That melodious voice not only had completely cut the tension between the two, but it had also managed to get them on high alert. Because whoever had come to interfere had left very clear what he was looking for there.

"I think I arrived at the best possible moment, didn't I?" It wasn't the blood on his right hand what caught their attention, but the forearm that had been thrown into the air like it was a simple paper ball; yes, the same one that was missing from a certain blue-haired man.

" _What is he doing here…!?"_  Gintoki looked dumbfounded at the redhead, the one he swore he wouldn't see again for a long time after what happened a few months back. He knew there'd be trouble if he was involved.

"It seems I underestimated you… You being here is a clear sign that you've managed to crush my two partners." There he was, standing between his two adversaries.

"So, you're that 'Yuusha' I've heard about since I came here." Kamui smiled with a brutal madness. He had even thrown his little souvenir far away. "You've been a little careless, but you've moved fast enough to lose only your forearm."

"What are you doing here, huh?", demanded the silver-haired. He couldn't just ignore a personality like that.

"Today's my lucky day~… First, I meet him, and now you." He looked at them excitedly, with a clear idea in his head.

" _Even with all that happened between baldy, him and Kagura, it's impossible to think he'd stop his bad habits overnight… Especially all those that involve his stupid wish of facing rivals as strong as him… Dammit, and now I'm completely unarmed… I'm in the middle of two freaking monsters…"_

The Yato didn't lose any more time and charged at the nearest prey, the one he'd come looking and went a long and tiring way for. And the best part was that he didn't regret doing it; that man was reacting so good to the attacks that it was hard to believe he had lost a limb a few minutes ago.

His strength against Yuusha's. His skill against the experience of a man who'd been in countless battles. The same bloodlust they both possessed. And the immutable idea that the only way this fight would be solved was if only one of them continued living.

The samurai limited himself to watching from afar. It was clear that the blue-eyed boy didn't want him to stick his nose into his new entertainment and, at the same time, he understood perfectly that as soon as he finished with the blue-haired man, he'd go after him; after all, there hadn't yet been an opportunity for them to face each other properly.

"That idiot… He's fighting that way even with all those injuries…" It didn't go unnoticed to him all those bandages and the damage Yuusha was causing him. He knew that if he continued like this, that Yato wouldn't succeed without losing something for it. "Damn it, this is why I hate troublesome children like him… This is why I hate that freaking baldy's kids, because they've brought nothing more than problems since I met them…!"

"So now you've decided to work as a team?" While the man tried to evade Kamui's frontal kick, he managed to stop the punch that was aimed to his chest.

"Would you mind staying out of my business?" That gentle smile was warning him not to pry where he wasn't supposed to.

"A kid with such wounds shouldn't be acting so cocky. You could end up crying and begging for daddy to come pick you up", Gintoki added with the mockery so characteristic of him. "Let a real man take care of that disfigured old pervert."

"I'm sorry, but he's my prey. You'll have to wait so I can deal with you."

"Stop that bull shit and stay still!"

It was impossible to think they'd get to a conclusion with both their stubbornness. The only thing it was good for was to confront their mutual enemy, who continued standing despite the damage the two of them kept causing him.

To call it irony was an understatement. Because never in their lives had they imagined they'd share a battlefield again, and that they'd even have an adversary in common; and even though they had been verbally fighting about who'd take care of Yuusha until a few minutes ago, now they seemed to have understood they had to put their differences aside and focus on that man if they wanted to stay in one piece.

At first sight they looked like two animals that had been cornered and were just looking for an opportunity to strike the one who'd gotten them in that situation. Others would even think they were nothing more than bullies that couldn't respect a fair fight.

The warm crimson had stained both their clothes and bodies, but it had also reached their adversary. Someone seemed to have lost his enviable healing ability and found himself in the same conditions. It would all inevitably come to an end, but who would be able to sing the hymn of victory?

"Ungh… After all we've hit him he still doesn't fall. Is he a freaking invincible beast? Did you also drank the same freaking miraculous water?", spoke Sakata ironically, lying down on the floor while trying to catch his breath. He was reaching his limit, and his body wasn't answering like it should.

"Are you letting him defeat you for something as simple as this?" Kamui wasn't in better conditions than the samurai. He stood with one knee on the floor and the other flexed to prevent him from falling completely, and at the same time his wound had reopened, staining his bandages with blood.

"They'll kill us here and now and you come up with such a nonsense… Give me a break, damn sadist…"

"You've fought wonderfully well, but I'm afraid this has lasted more than it should have." Yuusha hadn't avoided the fate of ending up in such poor conditions, either, but at least he still possessed enough strength to stand and deal the final blow to them. "I'll take care of you first, since you came to me before this kid." Of his mace only, the long iron handle remained; but it was enough to pierce his adversary's rib cage and choke him with his own blood.

If he didn't move or tried to defend himself he'd die right there. But what was he supposed to do when his body wasn't reacting and he didn't have a weapon in his hands? How could he find a way to escape and take care of him? Was everything destined to end like this?

"Gin-san, use this!"

He knew that battle cry perfectly. And although he wanted to know where exactly it was coming from, he didn't have the time for it. The only thing he could focus his attention on was what had been thrown to him, and that was now stuck on the ground, only a few centimeters away from his right hand.

He didn't even think about it, his mind just reacted automatically and his body seemed to have synchronized with the thought crossing his head at that exact moment. The next he knew was that he'd avoided Yuusha's attack and that the sword's sharp edge had found its way right into his chest and had settled in there in the worst way possible.

But Gintoki wasn't the only one to act. His revival had motivated the redhead in such a way that he didn't need a sharp object to pierce his enemy's chest; only his hand was enough to decorate it with a nice hole.

They'd coordinated in such a splendidly morbid way that they both managed to send the unfortunate man to a place where their ambitions couldn't even reach.

"Gin-chan!" The samurai hadn't hallucinated his friends' voices. He realized that the moment that pair came to his side, helping him stand. "Are you okay? You're not dying yet, right?"

"H-how did you guys… get here?", he questioned both of them.

"That's… because we followed you…", spoke Shinpachi. It was then that Sakata noticed an old acquaintance and the person who saved them from those scary dogs standing at the other side of the room. "…I see…"

"And that's how you end up after ignoring my warnings", scolded the black-haired woman a certain unconscious redhead.

"Oh, you survived your fight." Oshin didn't know what pissed her off the most right now, the fact that he was branding her as useless or that he was standing there calmly like he hadn't lost so much blood and nothing hurt. "If you make an effort you can act like a real Yato."

"Do it before I change my mind and try to stop you both", said Abuto after contemplating the pathetic state the redhead was in.

Gintoki, Kagura and Shinpachi were dumbfounded when they understood the true meaning of Abuto's words. And it was because they couldn't imagine someone who, until then, was only scolding the boy both out of concern and of anger, committing such action.

Only a swift blow to the abdomen was enough to bend the carefree Yato and make him fall on his knees on the floor so he could feel the results of his rebelliousness.

"Sleep and don't cause us any more trouble", she said after discarding the small syringe she unceremoniously stuck on the redhead's nape.

"D-d-d-di…Did you see what she just did?! She just knocked Kamui-san out without an effort and left him unconscious on the floor.

"Did you use a much stronger dose, right?", the brunet asked the apothecary.

"A monster like him needs a stronger dose every time to have the same effect", she said, watching the Yato lying on the floor, completely asleep. "And considering how reckless he was, it had to work fast or he'd probably try to go after Sakata." Her crimson eyes focused on the red-haired girl. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to him. This way it'll be easier to heal him and stop him from causing more damage around here."

"It's not like I was worried about that idiot or something. It's just that I was surprised about how fast you quietened him down."

"I have experience in dealing with men like him, that's all", she pointed out. "By the way, Sakata, you finally found what I asked you… Although…"

Yes, indeed, the sword she was looking for was in the hands of the samurai. The sad part was that it was useless after being broken when it impacted against Yuusha's chest.

"Ah… I-it has a solution… I know it… The deal is still standing, right? Wait! Did you find Aya-chan's sister?" Good time to remember about the important stuff.

"Gin-san, about that. You see…" The glasses-wearing boy told him about all that really happened. Not only there was no younger sister, but that woman had tricked them into entering the lion's den through dirty tricks.

"So that means…" Gintoki stared at Oshin as if waiting for a response.

"She's still alive, if that's what you want to know… However, you should be more worried about that drug going around than about a woman like her. The former will bring us serious problems if it keeps spreading around Edo."

"What are you doing here?" Kagura also had her doubts, and she didn't mind addressing Abuto so casually. "What are you looking for now?"

"They have no intentions of getting in your way or terrorizing the country. Their motives are more of the business type; trivial matters that shouldn't worry you."

"It's good to know that." That undoubtedly lifted a weight off Gintoki's mind. "You're in charge of keeping that monster well tamed."

"Oh, don't worry, she's an expert trainer of such wild beasts and won't let her pet escape once again", hummed Abuto, amused.

"Did you just say 'my pet'!? He's a good for nothing idiot! Stop looking at me like that and pick up that moron so we can get the h ell out of here!"

"Yes, yes, whatever you say."

Both parts decided to go their separate ways, without any explanations. They'd already spent enough quality time together for a day, and they were sure that was for the best at the moment. It was like that until a dry noise alerted them completely.

Someone had shot with extreme power and skill from a distance, making both groups separate and, at the same time, they didn't realize that what they had just experimented wasn't more than a set up responsible of hiding what was really worth witnessing.

"Ungh…what the hell is this?" Kagura had felt a stabbing pain on the nape of her neck. And without losing any time, she questioned about it. "A dart…?" But she hadn't been the only one to receive an object like that; her brother had also been a target.

"I think… we have another problem in our hands…", whispered Oshin and Gintoki as soon as they noticed what was happening. How could they explain a phenomenon like that? "You have to be kidding me!"


	10. Innocence

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God afternoon! Well, we're here once with a sensual update. I hope it's to your liking. Thank you for your patience and for reading chapter with chapter. Enjoy!
> 
> Parazor.- In the end it was not Valentine's update. But at least we updated the story XD thanks for everything.

They were both sure that more than a half hour had passed since they had the courage to pick that pile of rags up and face the violent and unexplainable reality that hit them with great violence. They simply had to be hallucinating; yes, it all had to be a side effect of having been practically buried under the rubble of what was once the palace of Yoshiwara.

Because there was no logical explanation for what they'd just witnessed, and they once again covered it up with the hopes of it all being a mere mundane nightmare.

"N-no…No, no way…NO!", shouted the pair while moving their heads from side to side, in total denial. "It must be our vision, yes, that's it, that's exactly what's happened."

"Hey, you two, stop trying to escape from reality…", said Shinpachi. How the hell was he so calm after seeing what had happened not only to Kagura, but also to Kamui? "It's obvious that someone has performed an excellent magic trick and has replaced them for much younger identical doubles."

"You're clearly also trying to escape." It wasn't like Abuto wasn't shocked about what he was witnessing, but one of the four had to keep a cool head. And being the oldest, he had to take on that role.

"Well they really look alike… I mean, that wizard must be Houdine or Kaito Joker himself", muttered Gintoki nonsensically.

"Considering all the crazy stuff that usually goes on here… The fact that they've rejuvenated those two might not be so absurd… So, what should actually worry us isn't the fact that they're both a couple of kids now, but…"

"Knowing if they'll ever come back to normal or not", the samurai completed the raven-haired woman's debate.

"It all happened after we were suddenly attacked, and those darts were thrown specifically to those two…", claimed young Shinpachi, looking intently at the three adults. "We can't let Kagura-chan or Kamui-san alone. We have to take care of them until we find a way to solve this problem."

"Speak for yourself, Pattsuan… Gin-san still isn't at the age in which you learn how to look after a doll-eyed little girl. Kids are fragile creatures… They're like chrysalises, like those expensive eggs that take several days to be created…Kids are our country's future, Shinpachi-kun."

"No, really, none of what you said makes any sense…", he yelled at him after delivering a blow to his head. "It's our responsibility to look after her."

"Oshin-chan, you're still going to give me the other part of the payment that you promised, right? I'm sure that it can still be fixed", pointed out Gintoki, showing her the broken sword's pieces. "I wasn't expecting it to end up like this."

"You're just thinking about money in a moment like this!?"

"You're the vice-captain, aren't you Abuto?", he mentioned to the brunet that remained beside him in complete silence. He shot him a sidelong glance and then turned to focus his attention on the human lump that remained asleep, under its own clothes.

"That you see me as a babysitter doesn't mean I'll look after him while he's in this state…" They weren't paying him enough to act as a sitter.

"But he's like eight years old… The terrible three have already passed", he encouraged.

"Well, you're the one who enjoys dealing with their childishness", he continued. "I'm sure you could raise him with an iron fist."

"You too!?", exclaimed the glasses boy towards that pair that also didn't want to deal with such a burden.

She'd never had such a heavy responsibility on her shoulders before. In fact, she never imagined herself taking care of a young, frail life that wouldn't just evaluate her behavior, but it would also test her when she had to face the situation the moment the little Yato woke up and opened his mouth.

She was nervous, Abuto noticed it immediately after seeing her index finger playing with the end of her straight black hair, and how she didn't take her eyes off the boy sleeping so peacefully on that big, soft double bed.

"It's weird to see you lose your temper."

"That's because you'll stay calmly standing there while I take care of making everything look real enough so he doesn't want to escape at the first opportunity." That man could be of help for a change.

"Looks like your biggest wish came true", he blurted out, amused.

"Mmm…W-Where… am I?" He rubbed his eyes, chasing away the sleep that still lingered on his eyelids. "Who are you two? And what am I doing here?", he questioned the both adults that he was seeing inside the room.

"Well…"

"You passed out after being too long under the sun… Us Yato can't go around without our umbrellas on a sunny day." Who would've thought, Abuto had handled the situation perfectly well.

"Sun…? But…" It was at that moment that he perceived the great amount of natural light shining through the window. There was no trace of storm clouds outside, or that annoying rain that was so familiar to him. No, beyond those four walls was a luminous world with a wide, infinite blue sky.

"You're on Earth", intervened Oshin after seeing little Kamui's surprised face. "Unlike the planet you were born in, here the sun shines most of the year."

"And what am I supposed to be doing… on Earth?" He got up from the bed, approaching them. "What about my parents? And Kagura?" A slight panic growing in those crystalline pupils was what the raven could see.

"You don't have to worry about them, Kamui." She kneeled down in front of him, to be at the same height and to be able to look at him directly. "Abuto and I are old acquaintances with your father. And he asked us personally to look after you while he takes care of some business here on Earth."

"But… what about my sister?" No, indeed, she wasn't there.

"She wouldn't stay here with us", she informed. "She started crying and your father couldn't leave her. So she's by his side."

"And my mom?"

"She's fine." Lying to a kid wasn't right, but what could she do in that situation? His childhood memories remained intact. "She's being treated in the city hospital, so you shouldn't worry… You'll get to see her when she's discharged." She smiled warmly at him.

"Will that take too long?", he questioned, curious.

"A couple of weeks, probably." That was the amount of time she was hoping it all would go back to normal, or there would be real problems. "Come on, don't look so down. If you want, I can take you to see your sister later."

" _I've always thought that raising a child was a pain in the ass, but I think that taking care of the captain is going to be much more painful than that…"_

"You want something to eat?", offered the woman to the shy boy. "I can bet you'll love the food we have here."

There's no need to tell a kid twice when it comes to food, and much less to someone whose appetite was something worth mentioning even at the tender age of eight. So there he was, sitting at the table, wolfing down each of the dishes that Oshin had served him.

"Don't forget to chew well or you'll end up choking", suggested the crimson-eyed woman without taking her attention off the one who only had eyes for the food.  _"In that aspect he hasn't changed in the slightest. However, the way he was as a child is pretty different to his current self… If his father hadn't abandoned him like that and he'd dealt with that situation in a different way, would the Kamui we know today be someone completely different?"_  She bit her lower lip and stopped the train of her thoughts.  _" But what nonsense am I thinking? There's no point in wondering if he had… Trying to change him isn't right, even if he's a man who doesn't find satisfaction beyond the battlefields… Just like I chose my own lifestyle despite what I am, I have to respect him as well. Even when I'd like to see him… the way he was back in the old days."_

"Is something wrong?" She was so focused on her introspections that she didn't notice Kamui had finished eating and was staring at her with great attention; he'd caught her with an absent presence.

"Ah, no, don't worry. It's just that I was thinking about what I'd cook for tonight's dinner." She concealed her absent-mindedness. "Would you like a tour around the place or would you rather take a nice bath?" She wasn't that far away from the kid, so it was easy to move toward him and take that small grain of rice that had gotten stuck on his left cheek.

"I'll go out to walk around." The boy stood up from his seat and headed for the front door. Oshin could swear he had hidden something under his upper clothes.

"Is it okay to let him roam free around here? He could run away if you get distracted." Those were Abuto's words after coming into the house while Kamui left quietly.

"I wouldn't let him out if I didn't know beforehand that he'll be safe", she spoke at the same time she picked the dirty dishes up and placed them in a single pile. "If he wanders outside the property they'll take care of bringing him back, or in any case, of watching him."

"They? Who are you talking about?" As far as he knew, the rest of the members of the squad were camping far away from there to avoid drawing attention.

"I mean Masamune and the others."

"Wait… You're not talking about those Syx, right?" It's just that she believed everything.

"Of course I am", she affirmed. "It'd be inhuman to leave them out there starving and enduring many hardships. That's why I brought them home to guard… Besides, I've always wanted a pet."

"I'm starting to believe that… you actually enjoy being surrounded by monsters…"

Shortly before nightfall, Oshin understood that not only had that kid managed to get that group of Syx to obey him and take him beyond the limits of her property, but she also realized it had been a really bad idea to dress him with white clothes, because he came back home filthy from head to toe.

"So what on earth have you been doing?"

"Your dogs are pretty strange, but they run a lot. They even managed to break a tree in half with great ease", he related excitedly. Someone had a great time.

"Follow me, I'll take you to have a nice shower." With what she loved that her house was squeaky clean, and that Yato was leaving marks of dirt and mud from his footsteps. "While you bath, I'll get you another change of clothes." She opened the bathroom door, letting him see the nice and conventional bathtub; she opened the hot water and let it fill. "Make sure you wash behind your ears and…"

Oshin felt silent, both for the fact that she'd been completely soaked in water, as for seeing Kamui already in the bathtub; the naughty boy had undressed in the blink of an eye and had jumped into the tub.

" _He seems to be enjoying it."_  There was no point in getting angry about what happened. She'd take a shower later. "Don't forget about the shampoo." She took the bottle and gave it to him.

"This place is much different from the one I was born in." Now his head was nothing more than a world of foam and soapy bubbles. "The sun shines all day long, there's not that annoying humidity here… It looks like… a good place."

"It also has its bad things, but they become petty when you compare them with all the good there is." She had to suppose a kid of his age wouldn't know how to properly clean himself. So she gave him an extra hand to rub that red hair.

"Y-you don't… have to do something like that… I'm already big and I can do it." The boy moved away and continued doing it himself. Though that wasn't what left her completely speechless, but rather that the young boy got embarrassed as soon as she tried to help him.

"Oh, right, right, you're the eldest brother." She clearly found his behavior cute since she found impossible not to smile at that. "But if you're not clean enough when you get out of this tub, I'll put you back in."

"I know how to bathe correctly!"

Bath time passed without any major incidents and dinner was more than enjoyed by the only two persons staying in the house. There was even opportunity for dessert.

"Isn't this house too big for just one person?"

"I guess you're right, but it's fine. Someday there'll be enough people to fill it", she mentioned before drinking from her warm cup of black tea.

"Can we go see my sister tomorrow?" Each of the redhead's actions left Oshin bewildered; maybe because she was used to how Kamui really was, and not to whom he was when he used to be an innocent boy and hadn't been through all those experiences that branded him.

"I don't see a problem in that." She wanted to think there'd be no problem in it. She thought Gintoki was doing a good job babysitting. "After you finish eating, go wash your teeth and go to bed right away. Kids your age should sleep at least eight hours every day."

"You're pretty strict for someone so young… You won't find a husband that way…", he whispered, so quietly that he didn't think she'd hear him; big mistake, the black-haired woman understood his mumbling and was rewarding him with a questioning look.

What could be wrong with a morning walk around the city of Edo, when the only thing someone wished was to enjoy the surroundings, the warmth of the sun and maybe some candy to satisfy the appetite while walking toward the Yorozuya? Maybe nothing, if that pair of strangers decided to move through the streets in a normal way, like any other self-respecting earthling.

Only to a woman like her could occur to go out in the company of something with the appearance of a canine, the size of a horse and the dormant instinct of a serial killer. That was probably the reason why everybody was moving aside in fear.

"People are running away", commented Kamui, who was calmly riding on the Syx's back, and at the same time he held his little umbrella to cover from the merciless morning sun.

"If you treat them right and feed them appropriately, the Syx become really docile. Like the dogs on Earth", she justified. "Besides, pets should be taken for a walk every day."

"You said the man taking care of my sister… is a samurai with a perm… right?", he said after getting off of the huge animal.

"Yes, but why do you mention it?" He didn't need to answer her when she herself was now seeing the aforementioned man running as fast as possible towards them, and the worst was that he wasn't alone, but he was enjoying Shinpachi's company.

"But how the hell could you do something so terrible to her, Gin-san!?"

"I told you, I needed more coins!"

"You dared to pawn a little girl to continue playing!?", he shouted in anger. "You know what will happen to us if something happens to her!? You know what Bouzu-sama will do to us when he finds out!?"

"That's why we have to leave the planet! I have the perfect place where we can live and never be found."

Their little commotion ceased before a simple action. Oshin simply had to put her foot out to make them trip noisily and literally crash into a metal cart that was just casually passing by.

"…P-Pattsuan… I think… I have something buried… in a place where only my p*** should be…"

"…I told you nothing good would come out from escaping your problems…"

"Hey, you two, where's Kagura?" Both men stood up at the same time and turned at an exasperating speed to the woman who looked suspiciously calm.

"O-Oshin-chan… well, you see…"

"Gin-san traded her for coins for the Pachinko. So now we'll go get her back, right Gin…?" The silver-haired man was already running away, leaving him with all the trouble.

"Get the samurai." It wasn't like Oshin had just spoken that order to the air. They knew it as soon as they saw the man's escape conclude the moment that animal grabbed him as if he was a mere wooden stick.

"C-Cou…Could you tell your cute pet to let go of me? I'm starting to feel dizzy from all the blood leaving my body…", he begged, with a staring off into space, and with his body trembling.

"Gin-san, it hasn't actually bitten you…" And that was true. The animal held him without hurting him, but the other was already making the drama of his life.

"Shimura, you think you can look after Kamui for a moment?", she asked the black haired boy. "Sakata and I will go look for Kagura."

"Alright."

"We'll be back soon, so try not to get the four-eyes in trouble."

"Who are you calling 'four-eyes'!?"

"I'd rather go with you two." He had already taken a look at the young man and didn't consider him capable of dealing with him or any other living thing.

"How am I supposed to interpret that look!? Why did it feel so insulting, as if he's looking down or pitying me!?" And Kamui just looked the other way. "Hey, stop trying to look cool when you're just an eight-year-old kid!"

"Time to go, Sakata", she announced after starting to walk along the Syx.

"Shinpachi-kun, don't leave me, don't let them take me!" The girlish screams didn't work on the young samurai, neither did his fake tears. "I have a bad feeling… One where every one of my limbs end up stored inside wooden boxes all around Edo!"

"Gin-san, real men have to pay for their actions."

Since they didn't allow pets inside the establishments, the playful Syx had to remain outside, probably scaring all the potential costumers off. But little things like those did not interest the apothecary; she was there to force Gintoki to recover the girl who he had traded for coins to continue his unhealthy vice that was the Pachinko.

And while the silver-haired man wanted to keep losing his money and his dignity in those shiny, colorful machines, Oshin pressured him with her gaze to continue walking and to prevent her from calling her pet to educate him a little.

"You know, I can feel your hard stare on me", stammered the man. "Don't you think you should relax a little? That kind of stress isn't good for a young woman like you… You should take care of your skin."

"Which one of them did you hand Kagura over to?", she asked after stopping before the store's counter. In there, most of the shop employees were gathered.

"Mmm… I'm pretty sure it was a guy with a beard…"

"What kind of beard?", she questioned him, not to play along, but because everyone in there had a beard.

"And he also wore glasses, a weird checkered raincoat, and for some strange reason he was carrying lollipops and toys… That's what he wanted to give me in exchange for Kagura, but I told him I was a big boy and that at my age, the only thing I cared about were full-scale dolls and that they're 4x4. Those who don't care to try new things, who don't mind waking up with some whipped cream or weird objects over their bo-…." That was the last straw for the raven-haired girl, so she had no other choice but to deliver a 'soft' blow to his head that literally buried him on the ground up to his neck.

"We're looking for a little girl around four years old, blue eyes and red hair, with oriental clothes", she addressed each one of those who worked there, but they simply denied having seen a child with those features.

"Though maybe the guy out there knows something", added one of the workers.

How did she not notice an awfully suspicious man like that, who was looking into the interior of the establishment while breathing heavily over the window glass? He looked like one of those stalkers that'd be pretty scary to run into while walking through an alley in the middle of the night.

"Oh, there he is, he's the one who made the exchange with me", exclaimed Gintoki after resurfacing from the insides of the pavement and pointing at the culprit with a serious and determined look. "Don't think I'll forgive you for what you've done. How dare you lie to me and tell me you were dedicated to bringing happiness and smiles to children? I won't forgive you giving me only 390 coins when you said it was 400!"

"Are you seriously making a fuss only because he gave you ten coins less!? And how could you believe he's a friend of the children when you can notice right away that he wants to do something else with them!?", scolded the woman. And yes, she buried the samurai on the ground once again. "Hey you, with the pedophile and stalker face, give me back the girl this idiot handed to you."

"Never, I'll never do that!" Were they all idiots in Edo or did she simply have bad luck with the people around her? There was that guy, sticking his tongue out at her, pulling his pants down while showing her his obscene backside as a clear sign of mockery.

It was a pity that situations like those had quick and practical solutions: like throwing Gintoki against that guy, not giving a damn that there was a thick window in between.

"There, I feel better with myself already." Now that there was another door she could go out through, and even a couple of human rugs, she could leave peacefully.

"Be s-smart… and tell her… what she wants…", recommended Sakata to the man. "S-she has an… overprotective-obsessive-compulsive mother… complex…"

"I hope you've already written your wills." They couldn't care less about the woman's words; what was actually causing them incomparable fear was seeing that animal in front of them, showing them its beautiful white fangs.

"HELP!"

It had not been more than half an hour since Oshin had left in the company of Gintoki, but that time was more than enough to worry a certain little Yato, and at the same time to make Shinpachi nervous, who didn't know how he was supposed to treat the infant, especially considering he had an already well defined idea of his personality.

So based on worldly logic, that he was a child and that he knew they'd be back safely with Kagura, he went to look for some sweets to the kitchen to give the boy.

"They're not of the best quality, but I'm sure you'll like them." They were both seated facing each other inside the Yorozuya, with the ticking of the clock in the background.

"Mmm…" He'd taken one of those dangos and ate it in total silence.

" _Dealing with him is harder than I thought… I mean, I don't know how he's going to react or what I can or can't say… What's taking Gin-san so long?"_

"Someone's knocking on the door", expressed Kamui, focusing his attention on the glasses boy.

And indeed, someone rang the doorbell a few times. So if it wasn't a debt collector, the old hag to whom they owed the rent for three months, or one of the eccentric personalities that lived in the neighborhood, it could be a client; and with that in mind, Shinpachi stood up and went to open the door.

"Good morning", he greeted the girl standing outside. "Can I help you?"

"This is the Yorozuya, isn't it?", she asked with a soft smile on her lips. "I'd like to make a request."

Her eyes were of an aquamarine tone, her skin white enough to make the pink hue of her short hair a visual delight. Even those pistachio hairclips holding her bangs gave her a peculiar childish charm.

She wore short, black shorts, tight against her hips, brown boots and a sky-blue blouse with a central zipper that did its best to remain completely close thanks to certain attributes of the girl.

"You're right." Like every teenager in that difficult age, he couldn't help shifting his attention off the right path; he was a man after all.

"So, do you think you could listen to my request?"


	11. Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good night. I hope you're all right. I know it's been a while since the last time I upgraded, but I'm here. Enjoy the chapter and all the drama that is coming :D Thank U very much for read and following this story! See you (owo)
> 
> *Parazor: As always, thank you for your hard work. We're already in Chapter 11! It's already an achievement.

The door had been completely smashed and the inside differed too much from what he remembered; wherever he focused his attention, there was nothing but rubble, piles of wood and a terrible mess that couldn't have been made if something big hadn't happened in there.

Putting aside the material costs, he couldn't find any of the two persons who were supposed to be there, and that was a cause of alarm for the two who had just returned; so, instinctively, they started to examine everything, searching for them, searching for any clue that told them who or what had caused such chaos.

"Pattsuan, don't try to talk." Gintoki had managed to find the young boy, lying on the floor, covered by the remains of the fallen roof. "We'll take care of everything", he pointed out, without taking his eyes off of him; not only was he unable to move, but it also seemed something strong had hit his stomach, to the point of breaking a few of his ribs and causing some alarming crimson liquid to escape between his lips. "I have to take him to the hospital right now. Do you think you can take care of her?"

"We'll both go… I have the feeling we shouldn't separate", she mentioned, feeling the small grip of the frightened Yato. The one who was staring at the scene in front of her with glassy eyes.

They arrived at the hospital as fast as possible and waited in the emergency room while they took care of the beaten-up boy. For now, they had no choice but to wait until they could talk to Shinpachi and he could explain what had happened.

"I'd say this attack was directed to the Yorozuya, but they've taken Kamui… So that makes me think all this was premeditated and is related to the person who attacked us and shot them with those darts."

"Does that mean they'll come for her too?" Gintoki glanced at the innocent Kagura, who was petting Sadaharu, ignoring completely what they were talking about.

"If we consider Kamui's history, he has plenty of enemies, and one of them could've planned all this", she commented to the silver-haired man and he simply shot her a sideways glance.

"I'm surprised someone like you goes through all this trouble for a sadist like him." That he was picking his nose wasn't making his attempt of sounding like a responsible adult lecturing her sound believable. "Perhaps the princess' heart sleeping under that cold and hard appearance of yours has finally awoken? And the worst thing is that it was all thanks to an idiot addicted to fights and food, that goes around with that silly smile of his." He smiled with pure satisfaction. He knew he'd hit the spot and she simply preferred to look at the missing Yato's little sister. "Most would say you're completely suicidal, that you're someone who doesn't exactly value her own life or that's been blinded by some pretty, shiny object."

"And what do you think?", she wanted to know.

"…That there's some good in him that's been seen by someone other than his annoying sister or his bald father…" She remained silent once again. It felt ridiculous to be asking about such matters.

"I guess even someone like him is capable of having a side like that." It wasn't the first time she believed that, in fact, that thought had crossed her mind several times, especially when she witnessed his fight against his father and sister; but it was the first time she expressed it out loud.

"Excuse me, you can see the patient now", interrupted a nurse after she approached them.

They headed for the room the convalescent boy was staying in, and they came across an already treated boy, who didn't seem to mind wearing a neck brace and a sling; even those bandages around his chest suited him perfectly.

"I've met people with more luck than you, Pattsuan", said Sakata jokingly. "But there's nothing calcium can't heal. "Yes, why not bring a strawberry milk carton for the poor man?

"Then why the hell are you drinking it?", asked the glasses boy.

"Carrying you here was really tiring, Pattsuan. I had to get all the lost sugar back."

"Why don't you turn back and go get your lost brain back instead?"

"Sorry to break up this magical moment, but we'd like to know what happened."

"Oshin-san, I'm really sorry… I wasn't able to protect Kamui-san…" He was frustrated and angry at himself. He had made a promise to protect that kid and couldn't stop them from taking him.

"If they left you in such a state that means the enemy was strong", she expressed, staring intently at the boy. "You tried to protect him, and to me that's more than enough to earn my respect."

"Oshin-san…" He was crying with happiness for how understanding and mature she was. "Why the hell can't you act like her!?" Obviously, his words were directed to whom was already lying on the next bed while reading the Jump.

"Tell us about the one who caused all this."

"…It was a girl…", he expressed curtly. "She had supposedly come to ask the Yorozuya for a job, so I let her in… And before I listened to her request, she hit me directly in the stomach. Taking advantage of that, she went after Kamui-san… and although he tried to fight back, she surpassed him in strength."

"…A Yato…"

"Before she took him, I tried to stop her, but she ended up giving me the beating of my life", Shinpachi stated drily. "She said she'd leave me alive, so I could tell you guys about her."

"She's trying to provoke us." Oshin looked sideways at the apparently uninterested samurai and he merely put his precious treasure away. "What do you suggest we do?"

"Don't we have two monstrous dogs that could find anything with their sense of smell? Not even Edo is big enough for our pretty pets."

Giving them one of his garments was enough for those professional noses to start sniffing at everything in detail. And that pair, like the responsible owners they were, remained close to the monumental dogs, ignoring the looks people were shooting them; they didn't see a show like that every day, after all.

"At least it seems paternity will be good for you", commented somewhat amused the woman about the fact that little Kagura was holding the samurai's hand.

"Why don't you hold her as well? Could it be that you're afraid people will stare at you and think things like 'she's too young to have a kid, she probably couldn't resist the urge to experiment this and that'?"

"My brother… he'll be okay, right? What about Papi? And Mami?" The two of them stopped, exchanging glances, trying to decide which one of them would answer.

"Your brother will be fine. He's strong and will be able to resist until we find him", spoke Oshin.

"Your bald papi is out there, kicking alien asses to pay for your studies, but he'll come back before all the hair falls from his shiny head."

"…I…m-miss them a lot… I want to see them…" That was the third crying since they left the hospital.

"Do something so that she stops crying… Breastfeed her or sing her one of those senseless songs kids these days love so much", whispered the samurai to the woman.

"If you keep crying like that, your nose and cheeks will turn completely red and you'll worry your brother when we find him", she expressed to the little girl, after she opted to hold her in her arms to transport her in a better way. "You don't have to worry about a thing, we adults will take care of this, you understand?"

"And after this… we'll all eat rice with eggs?"

"When all this is over we'll go to a nice restaurant and you'll be able to order all the meat you want." The little girl's lips widened in a beautiful smile; and those blue eyes recovered their usual enthusiasm. She truly was an adorable girl.

"Yes, yes, meat!"

"I think the one with the maternal instincts is someone else." He scratched the nape of his neck with natural ease while he smiled discreetly.

"But what does this mean…!? Why are they smelling me!?" That voice was unexpectedly familiar to them, so they made sure it was actually 'that person'.

"Papi!", Kagura yelled at the top of her lungs before literally throwing herself into the arms of the bewildered man that wouldn't stop being sniffed at by Sadaharu and the Syx.

"…K-K-K…!?" If the man still had some hair on his head, it would have finished falling as soon as he realized his beloved and precious daughter had gone back in time to be a four years old little girl once again.

Through signs and explanatory posters, the pair managed to explain the hunter what had happened until the moment they found him. And although he still couldn't assimilate what was going on, there was no doubt that the little girl hugging him so happily was his Kagura.

"So, he too has… _turned into a kid again_ …"

"As the responsible father that you are, you should go look for your small harmless child", mentioned Oshin, with a mocking smirk on her lips. "They say it's never too late to make things right."

"I come here to visit my precious daughter only to be drooled on by those monsters pretending to be pets, and now I'm being lectured by some brat", he blurted out in a mix of annoyance and irony. "Do you think you can look after her a little longer while I go find his inconsiderate older brother?"

A dusty floor and furniture that was poorly covered with tarnished, moldy blankets; that's what stood out to whoever dared to live in that third-rate pigpen. Even the windows were boarded up with wooden planks, and the rest of the rooms, excepting the living room, were riddled with piles of newspapers and cheap magazines; it was in simpler terms a shack no one would suspect to find someone living in, and nonetheless, that was the case.

Acting as his guard, the young girl lied on the only couch there was, with her eyes glued to that group of yellowish papers she held spread out as if it were a fan; and just maybe they weren't to her liking, since looking at them caused a frown to appear on her face and her eyes to sharpen.

"I know you must be wondering what you're doing here and why I've kidnapped you", spoke the pink-haired girl, glancing at her young guest. "The answer is simple if you consider who your father is."

"Ungh…" Lying on the floor, he could do nothing more than struggle, seeing that his wrists and ankles were bound by thick shackles that he wouldn't be able to break so easily; and even less with his current strength.

"Don't waste your energy in that, Kamui", she advised, crossing her legs and enjoying what seemed to be some sort of show to her. "I was willing to take the risk and go after you in the company of my people, but after seeing what happened to you and your sister, I couldn't have had a better chance."

"…You won't get away with this…", he replied, shooting her a look that showed how much he disliked her.

"I admit that you haven't disappointed", she praised. "Even in your state, you fought back and that blow you threw to my face hurt pretty badly." She, on the other hand, seemed to be unharmed, but he was completely beaten up; she didn't hold back in hitting him until leaving him in such a state.

"I don't even know you… Besides, I'm sure he'll take care of giving you a nice beating…"

"That's exactly what I'm wishing for, that he'll show up soon. After all, my personal matters are with him, not necessarily with you guys." She got to her feet, glancing at him with notorious arrogance. "Although I wasn't expecting a baldie like him to be so ridiculously sentimental. But if he wasn't then there'd be no point in hurting his precious child, right?"

"You're crazy."

"A kid like you wouldn't be able to understand the agony we've gone through, living all these years… Your father has to pay for having us exiled…", she smiled sadistically, as if she was imagining that long awaited moment, as if her greatest dream was coming true. And that palpable malice agitated the kid's pupils, filling him with a feeling close to fear. "How about we play while your 'papi' arrives?"

What satisfaction could exist in those who abuse the weak? What kind of pleasure did she find in stepping over and over again on someone's body, someone who was unable to fight back? Why was she smiling at him while she continued delivering that punishment? Wouldn't she stop until dying the floor completely red with his blood?

"You thought I wouldn't lie a hand on you only because you're a kid?" She grabbed his hair roughly, with the only goal of lifting him up to see him face to face. "If you'd been born within my clan, you'd be already resting underground for a long time."

He felt powerless, unable even of fighting for his existence, and starting to fear the worst. Could he even afford a mentality like that? Wasn't there a way to settle the problem and managing to survive? He had the blood of the strongest beings in the universe, he couldn't just give up; there was no reason to give her the satisfaction.

Thick, crimson blood trickled down violently to the floor, as if it was impossible to contain, as if the cause of its releasing was still there, making it flow copiously. The victim hadn't even felt the exact moment in which everything behind her had fallen apart, and couldn't stop staring at whom had just arrived, not only to interrupt her, but to take such an important limb from her.

Kamui found himself once again on the floor, his incredulous gaze fixed on the girl who couldn't find a way to escape from the shock and, at the same time, he glanced at whom had managed to locate and save him.

He recognized that enormous dog, the same one that had just ripped the Yato's arm off and thrown it out of her reach. And he had also simultaneously identified the person riding on the Syx's back, who managed to send the insolent woman to the lower floors of the construction with a simple movement of his umbrella.

"Hey, you're okay, right? Your father has come as fast as possible to save you." He wanted to end the woman's life at any cost, but he couldn't leave Kamui in such conditions; he was in a bad enough state to require medical attention. "Papi will take you to get those nasty wounds examined."

"You re-really… came", he smiled at him with honest happiness. The boy actually wanted him to arrive and rescue him.

"Don't be silly", he replied, smiling reassuringly. "I won't leave you alone again, Kamui."

"But what a touching scene! Allow me to clap and throw up." The girl had managed to slip away from death's hands and had climbed to the floor she had fallen from. "Umibouzu, we finally have the pleasure of meeting once again… Though I'm sure you don't recognize me. I was a kid when you took care of exiling us from our own planet."

"I was curious about who could be stupid enough to mess with my family. But I never imagined it was one of you people." He had already set his son free of those oppressive shackles and was holding him under his left arm. He needed to get him out of there and deal with that psychotic woman. "You yourselves were responsible for being despised by the rest of us. Your acts couldn't be overlooked, and represented a true atrocity, even for beasts like us."

"The only thing we should be concerned about is improving our species… Having much stronger, tougher descendants… It's mere natural selection", she affirmed with absolute certainty.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have the time or interest in talking about past issues…" He honestly didn't want to deal with her or anybody else's wishes for revenge. "Find something else to do in your free time instead of trying to lay hands on the great Umibouzu."

"I won't let you leave, you damned baldie."

"My hair is in energy-saving mode, I said!"

Umibouzu was now starting to believe that having brought that strange beast with him hadn't been such a bad idea. Not only did it support both their weights, but it was also fast enough to leave the area and start using the surrounding roofs as if it was a playground for him.

"You'll bleed to death if you keep chasing after us."

Wherever they moved, it was a world of chaos and destruction. The pink-haired girl, in her attempt of shooting down the animal allowing both of them to escape, was shooting vehemently, blowing up numerous establishments and terrorizing the people that were in the way.

"But what the hell is that thing!? None of my bullets are able to pierce its skin", cursed the girl before what seemed inevitable. Without mentioning that, even with that tourniquet she made around her arm, the bleeding hadn't stopped, and she was starting to feel the effects of having lost so much blood.

"It seems we've lost her for the moment", spoke the bald man sitting in front of the boy, holding the animal tightly.

"Did you really… do something bad? That woman… seemed to really hate you."

"The only ones who did something were them… Your father only did the right thing."

A few bandages, band-aids and the care of the nurses were more than enough to tend to the wounds that little Yato had suffered in such a traumatic experience at his young age. He even had to take those disgusting pills to ease the pain; although the positive side of staying in the hospital was that he could enjoy three meals and the visits of those who made up his small family.

While Kamui remained in bed, listening to the story Kagura was trying hard to tell him with some clumsiness and forgetfulness, the only adults who were there kept their distance and looked at the sweet scene from the threshold of the room. Even with all the time that pair had been turned into children, they couldn't quite believe it.

"What sort of mischief have you done to have a crazy chick come from the ends of the universe to take revenge using your kids?", Gintoki questioned the quiet man.

"She must be one of the surviving members of that clan."

"What do you mean by that?" It wasn't the samurai asking, but the girl that had just arrived. One that caught the two kids' eyes for a good reason: she had brought along a big paper bag, and that only meant one thing.

"Shi-chan!" The little Yato climbed down from his brother's bed and ran to the black-haired woman. "H-have you… brought them?" She could be as extroverted as introverted in a matter of seconds.

"You can eat them while us adults talk about some grown-up issues." She took her package to where the convalescent was lying and took out what was inside, placing it carefully on the bed. "I have no idea what is it kids your age like, so I brought a couple of each…"

Small, square jelly with beautiful flowers inside them, small muffins that could be easily mistaken for adorable kitties, a bundle of strawberries covered in chocolate with matcha, cat-like chocolate and strawberry flavored donuts, tartlets, crystal candies and even bunny-like biscuits, made up the woman's 'light' purchase.

"I think I should've also brought those orange cupcakes and the cherry blossom-shaped sweets…", whispered Oshin, completely ignoring that those kids couldn't appreciate fine confectionery and were already scarfing down everything she had brought.

"Stop spoiling my kids!", blurted out the bald man.

"Oi, oi, why are you feeding expensive sweets to those two wild troglodytes that wouldn't even recognize an apple tarte tatin from some croissants, even if they had them in front of their eyes!? How do you even have that much money to bring them that sort of things every day!? Is it perhaps that working in Yoshiwara has infected you with 'certain kinks'? Is this the kind of example you want to give these poor kids?" In other words, he wanted to eat all those carbohydrates. "Papi', is this the kind of woman you want for your son?"

"Who are you calling wild brats!? And why do you keep calling me 'Papi'!? And my precious son is only eight years old!"

"Hey, you two, stop making a scene in the hospital." She completely ignored their comments, pushing them out of the room; she even closed the door. "Are you going to tell us who's behind all this now?"

"You're not giving up, are you?" He sighed with resignation. "This whole problem started several decades ago, before Housen himself was known as the King of the Yato", he started his story, remembering that old acquaintance; his toughest rival. "At that time I was nothing but a kid that only thought about getting in trouble."

"Most of the Yato seek to test their strength and superiority in relation to the rest of the creatures inhabiting the universe… Even among ourselves we fought and tried to brutally kill each other." That was nothing new, for many years he himself chased after true strength and faced countless adversaries. "However, there was a group of Yato who took that wish to an unthinkable level."

"What do you mean by that?", asked Oshin. Gintoki just picked his nose.

"They believed that our species had to follow certain rules to keep their own status as the strongest species in the universe… That it wasn't enough to just leave offspring and leave it all to fate", he continued, focusing his attention on that pair listening attentively. "After their own idea of improving the species, of having even stronger descendants, more skilled for combat, they started to reserve the right to choose their partner… They wouldn't pick it out of affection or things like that, but for their strength…"

"Are you suggesting they reached the level of choosing their partner based on something as absurd as that to make sure their lineage was better than the one before?" Umibouzu's silence said it all.

"…That the son tries to murder his parent to prove he's surpassed him is already considered infamy. The fact that the parent themselves decide which one of their children has more right to live and grow up, could be considered the pinnacle of atrocity." None of them uttered a word because they didn't know what to say about it; in a certain way, it sounded too absurd to be true. "That was their way of selecting the strongest ones, those who would continue their own legacy and, at the same time, would be above the rest of the Yato…." He leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. Who would say a taboo topic like that would come out his mouth one day? "Even when that situation was causing us big problems, nobody did anything about it. "

"You mean, until you did something about it, 'Papi'."

"Stop calling me that, asshole!"

"And you were the one who took care of all of them, right?"

"I had planned to kill them all to teach the rest a lesson about not doing something as stupid as that again, however, the only thing I was allowed to do was to banish them from our planet", he pointed out seriously. "The person leading that bunch of idiots stayed to fight me…He didn't mind sacrificing himself to allow them all to escape."

"Does that mean they've been wandering around the universe, living in the shadows?"

"They haven't been living silently, girl." He frowned in obvious annoyance. "Since they were exiled, they've worked as mercenaries and have been working for many big shots. But they always manage to not be found and hunted."

"Although if you mentioned they'd been doing that for a long time and you banished them from their own planet… We get to the conclusion that they had to be withering away by that time. I mean, most of their members must be veterans, and the young ones must be a few and already suffering the consequences of only mingling with their own."

"It's even ironic… They were the ones who tried so hard to preserve their species, and they're driving it to extinction by their own hands", emphasized Sakata.

"What makes me really curious is the fact that she knew where to find Kamui in the state where he is in right now", mumbled Oshin. "Is it possible that the one who attacked us was actually part of those Yato and all this is part of their plans to get revenge on you, Umibouzu?"

The darkness and the cold of the alleys was her greatest comfort, the only place in which she wasn't perceived by the passers-by and where she could take care of her grave wound without annoying interruptions. She'd lost enough blood for her life to be at risk, and having no choice but to wait for the sunlight to be less harmful, she remained seated on the ground, hidden between two big garbage cans.

"Ungh… That idiot slipped right through my fingers this time, but next time I'll deal with him…"

"With such a nasty injury I don't think you'll get too far, Rina-chan." Being called by her name wasn't what put the pink-haired girl on alert, but rather the presence that seemed to have been there from the beginning, looking at her quietly from the fire escape in front of her. "N-Nana…", she stuttered.

"It must have hurt a lot, right? I mean, to get your arm ripped off." Her innocent pupils were as vermillion as blood, as eye-catching as it was disturbing. "None of us is blaming you for what you've done, Rina-chan. However, what you did wasn't of Yomi-sama's total approval."

"I-I did it for everyone's sake... So he could pay for all those years we've been pointed at and neglected by our own species!", she yelled, shooting that girl who couldn't be older than eleven years old a hard look.

"Past fights don't have to bother us, Rina-chan", she said with a smirk while walking from side to side, with her arms crossed behind her back. "Why aren't you a good girl and give me the antidote? Since even though I insisted to Aika-chan, she wouldn't give it to me."

"I... the truth is..."

That girl's skin paled completely when compared to the white of her straight, tied up hair. And if that wasn't enough to make her a weird and frail enough specimen, the cute clothes she was wearing would make any person think she was nothing more than an adorable kid who loved frill dresses and knew how to perfectly combine black, red and white colors.

"Rina-chan, if you do it, we'll spare your life", she expressed, carefully combing her bangs; as if it was a habit for covering her left eye completely. "However, if you resist, we'll have no other choice but to let you meet the rest of those who've broken our clan's rules."

It had been an exhausting day, full of her little sister's occurrences and the strange gestures that adorned his father's face on many occasions. How long had it been since he'd spent so much time in the company of his father and sister? When was the last time everyone was so cheerful? And then he remembered, it all had started to change since his mom got sick and his father started to slowly distance himself while he left the house more and more frequently.

It was then when he felt the intense desire to abandon his bed and leave his room. If his mother was hospitalized in the same place that he was, then if he looked hard enough, he'd end up finding her, right?

With that idea in mind, he got up and put on the slippers that were on the floor. And before he started his adventure, he focused his attention on the window; the huge moon could be seen with an impressing clarity, shining all over the city. However, that wasn't what caught him completely.

"A canary sings a lullaby.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, boy.

Above the cradle, the loquats swing.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, boy.

A squirrel rocks the cradle on her own.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, boy.

Dreams in a cradle, with the yellow moon shining from above.

Sleep, sleep, sleep, boy."

That song couldn't be other than the one his mother used to make him sleep so many nights when he was little; the one he liked so much and that unconsciously longed to hear again.

"Where is it coming from?" He ran to open the window and stick his head out to the cold night, looking around in search of the source of that lullaby. "Only my mother knows that song." His hurried pupils examined the narrow streets that could be seen from up there, even his search reached the neighboring rooftops. "Dad probably didn't tell us anything because he wanted to surprise us... I'm sure mom is okay now."

He finally found the one who had hummed that adorable song. Finally, his eyes caught that treasured gaze and that emotive smile he loved to receive so much.

"Mom!"


End file.
